


Taking In Strays

by angryschnauzer



Category: Captain America (Movies), MCU, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Steve Rogers - Fandom
Genre: Domestic Stability, Double Agents, Drug Addiction, Drug Withdrawal, F/M, Home Invasion, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, Intent to Sexual Assault, Pre-serum Steve Smut, Self Harm, Steve in his underpants, Unwanted Advances, mentions of past domestic abuse, smut in chapter 6, unprotected sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-10
Updated: 2017-02-12
Packaged: 2018-09-07 17:36:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 53,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8809900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angryschnauzer/pseuds/angryschnauzer
Summary: Emily Embers is at rock bottom, doing what she can to care for her son after the death of her husband. A fall on an icy street finds her in the arms of Steve Rogers, who offers her some assistance that she gratefully accepts, but little does Steve know just how deep he will have to get himself into someone elses world in order to save them.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have decided i wanted to challenge myself writing, and for once am avoiding the smut, and going with angst. I plan for this to be quite a dark story, not sure how many chapters but it will be at least 5, and will cover some very unsettling topics (i will however put these in the triggers/warnings section). I will update when i can, but it will be a quality over quantity in frequency of the updates, and chapters will be of a significant word count so this will be something you will want to settle down with and get comfy to read rather than a quick scan whilst waiting for the bus.  
> This story will in no way glamorise any of the topics covered, and i dedicate it to one friend that although isn’t on Tumblr, has experienced what i will be writing about, and i have her full permission to cover these topics (she’ll be reading on AO3) and she is my advisor on this.  
> Finally, i am going to trigger dl:dr - DON’T LIKE DON’T READ. If any of these topics are not to your taste, then please do skip/scroll past. I will not be insulted if regular readers do not Like/Reblog.

Taking In Strays – Chapter 1

Emily was starting to lose the feeling in her fingers, the numbness from the cold setting in as she gripped onto the grocery bags, cursing the fact that she'd left her gloves somewhere the previous week, her attempts to back track the places she'd visited to find them proving fruitless. Pausing for a moment she shifted her shoulders, the weight of Mickey - her 18 month old Son - in his carrier pulling on the tendons in her neck. As she rolled her head he shifted in the carrier, antsy from being strapped in when all he wanted to do was run around like any other toddler.

The unexpected shift of weight caught Emily off guard, the weight of the groceries altering her centre of gravity. Stepping out to steady herself she didn't see the patch of ice that had formed on the sidewalk, her foot sliding out at an unusual angle, her scream of panic piercing through the evening as she desperately tried to angle her body so that she didn't fall on her front and crush Mickey. Time seemed to slow down as she felt her body falling, squeezing her eyes closed as the sense of dread filled her as she anticipated the pain of the fall and her landing on the frozen sidewalk.

Yet it never came, and as she became aware of her surroundings she realised she was being cradled in a strong pair of arms, Mickey giggling and wriggling as he played with a set of dog tags that were dangling in front of him. Emily looked up and was almost blinded by the bright blue green eyes that were gazing down at her;

"Ma'am? I said are you ok?"

Emily blinked a couple of times before she came to her senses, letting the owner of the strong arms set her back onto her feet. Steadying herself on the wall she tested her footing for a moment, wincing as she felt her ankle twinge;

"Oww..."

"Ma'am?"

"My ankle..."

Without a pause she watched as the tall blond man crouched down, tentatively touching her ankle above her well worn sneakers , pressing gently;

"Does this hurt? Can you move it side to side?"

She paused for a moment, looking down at him as she went to answer but it was then that she saw the mess on the sidewalk as the gallon of milk trickled into the gutter, the broken eggs slowly edging in the same direction. All thoughts of her ankle left her mind, the feeling of hopelessness setting in as her groceries were ruined. She let out a sob, the tears welling in her eyes before they spilled over and ran down her cheeks.

"Ma'am? Can I help you to the Emergency Room?"

Emily look up at him, recognising his face immediately;

"No, thank you Captain Rogers. My ankle is fine... sorry... I need to go back to the store..."

She turned and winced, slowly hobbling along the sidewalk a few steps, one hand resting on Mickey's back as she cradled him to her body, the other still clinging to her remaining bag of groceries. After a few painful steps she felt a strong hand rest against her arm;

"Will you at least let me help you to the store?"

Emily turned and looked at him, her pride wanting to say no, but her exhaustion finally winning over and she reluctantly nodded her head, watching as he took the heavy bag that still hung from her almost blue hands.

As she pushed her frozen hands between her and Mickey to warm them, Captain Rogers fell into slow step beside her, taking his time as he didn't rush her, letting her continue at her own pace.

"So... you know my name" he asked quietly; "May I ask yours?"

"Emily" she smiled weakly at him before looking down; "And this is Michael, Mickey for short. Thank you for your help Captain Rogers"

"Please, call me Steve"

He reached over and offered his finger to Mickey, smiling when the small boy took hold of it and laughed before putting it into his mouth and biting down, causing Steve to cry out in surprise;

"Oh! Wow, he's got sharp teeth!" pulling his hand away but still smiling at the little boy

"I'm sorry, he's hungry... his dinner is on the sidewalk back there..."

Once at the store Steve let Emily go on ahead, following her at a polite distance as he held onto her groceries, watching as she grabbed a basket. As she stood in front of the large milk chiller he saw that she was counting the loose change she had, nervously biting her lip before her eyes darted back and forth between the price tags on the shelves.  His heart sank when he realised that she was having to choose whether to buy milk for her child or food for the table. He couldn't just stand and watch, and he found himself beside her, reaching over and grabbing the large container of milk that would replace the identical one that spilt on the pavement;

"Let me help"

"Oh no... you don't have to... I only want the small one" Emily felt the blush of embarrassment rising to her cheeks, not wanting to meet his gaze until she heard his voice soft and low;

"That's not what I meant... I will get this for you" he turned to the rest of the store; "What else do you need... please... let me help"

He could see Emily's internal struggle, her pride wanting to fight against the basic human need of food and shelter before she finally nodded.

"Okay... but I will pay you back"

He smiled, not condescending, but a knowing smile; it had been a very long time ago but he knew what it was like to live way beyond the line of poverty. He cleared his throat and took the basket from her;

"What else do you need? Eggs? I saw them on the sidewalk... diapers?"

By the time they made it to the cash register the basket was overflowing with groceries, Emily and Mickey standing to one side as she watched Steve pack the groceries, chatting to the elderly man who was employed to do just that job before tipping him anyway.

As they stood outside the store he looked around;

"So, which way?"

Emily nodded to her left, and the three of them set off towards her apartment in silence. After a while she finally spoke up;

"So what brings you to such a shitty neighborhood Cap... Steve?"

He laughed, shifting the three large bags of groceries to just one hand as he reached out and held Mickey's hand again, watching as the little boy laughed and waved their hands around;

"I used to live here... I guess I was just feeling a little nostalgic"

When they reached her building Steve made for the elevators, but Emily reached out for his arm;

"Even if they are working we won't want to go in them"

Steve didn't want to ask why, but the putrid stench that filled the small lobby of the building told him that she was correct. Instead they trudged up eight flights of stairs, the sounds of human degradation leaking out from behind the thin walls. He saw Emily cringe as she noticed him listening, Mickey having gone silent in his carrier as he clung to his mother’s arms that were wrapped closely around him. When they reached her apartment she hurriedly opened the door and pushed her way in, letting Steve follow close behind as she heard him shut the door and flick the locks across.

"Thanks. Could you put the groceries on the table? I just need to change Mickey"

Steve watched as Emily disappeared into the small side room - which he presumed was her bedroom - before he started to unload the groceries. As he did so he started to look around the tiny two room apartment, noticing for the first time the dilapidated state of it; the patched couch, the window that had been taped shut yet a strip of tape flapped in the icy draft that came through the gap in the frame, the way the handles had come off of the drawers in the kitchenette and someone had carefully tied string through the screw holes so that they could still be used. The place was falling apart yet he could see Emily had done what she could to make it livable.

Moments later he heard the sound of small feet running on the bare floorboards, smiling as Mickey ran towards him giggling. Looking up he saw Emily following, about to say something as someone hammered a fist against her door;

"Miss! Rent!"

Emily stopped in her tracks, glancing from Steve to the door and back again before reaching for a small box that sat on a shelf, shouting out to the person that was slamming their fist against the door to hold on, pulling a bundle of old looking bills from the box before she hurriedly answered the door. Steve felt a set of small hands tug on the leg of his pants, looking down to see Mickey staring up at him, tears in his eyes as he looked scared. Picking the small boy up they watched as Emily opened the door, the stench from the man on the other side immediately seeping into the room. They watched as she handed over the money, nervously shifting her weight from one foot to the other as he counted it in front of her, his mutterings interrupted by the regular disgusting snorts as he sucked he sinuses clear and audibly swallowed what his efforts produced.

When he got to the bottom of the stack of notes he stopped, looking up at her with a sneer on his face;

"It’s short"

Emily looked flustered, wrapping her arms around her body as she stammered;

"It... it... it should all be there..."

"I don't fucking care if it should be here, it’s not..."

Steve up until then had remained I silent, holding Mickey in the shadows, but could sense that this situation was not going to get any better for Emily if he didn't step in;

"Doll, everything ok?"

He stood next to her, looking at the sorry excuse for human life standing in the hallway that glared back at him, spitting as he spoke to Steve;

"Sorry man, I didn't realise she had a John" he turned back to Emily, his sneer returning; "You're still short"

Steve passed Mickey to Emily as he fished his wallet out of his jeans;

"How much does she owe?"

Emily placed a hand on his arm;

"No... Its fine, you don't have to do this..." she turned to the landlord; "I'm sure we can work something out... just another week and I can get you the rest"

The snot ridden sound of those sinuses being cleared again made them cringe as he leered at Emily;

"Maybe you could work off your debt; I could do with some company..."

"I'm not... I don't..."

Steve interjected, starting to get angry;

"How much?"

The landlord looked disappointed that his chance was lost; not knowing he never had a chance;

"A hundred and twenty bucks"

Steve pulled the bills from his wallet, shoving them at the landlord as he slammed the door in his face. He stared at the back of the paint peeling woodwork and let out a deep breath to try and calm down. Once he'd composed himself he watched as Emily sat Mickey on one of the chairs that surrounded the small table before she turned to the counter, busying herself as she filled a beaker with milk. He watched as she turned and handed her son the drink, keeping her gaze averted before she turned back to the counter. When he heard the first sob come from her lips he started for her, instinct kicking in. But when she spoke he stopped;

"I'm not a whore"

Her words shocked him for a moment;

"I didn't think you were"

She turned to him, not able to gauge his comment;

"Then why are you here?"

"Because I saw someone, two people..." he gestured to Mickey who was sitting quietly at the table as he drank his milk; "...that needed help"

"I don't have any way to repay you"

"You don't need to"

She looked lost, hopelessness setting into her soul as she looked around the hovel she called home, stopping as she saw the groceries still to be put away;

"I could cook you dinner?"

Steve smiled, and was relieved when he saw some of the tension slip from her shoulders;

"I'd like that"

Steve settled on one of the chairs at table, watching as Emily moved around gracefully; knowing the space she had to work in like the back of her hand. Mickey tugged on his sleeve and pointed at the bookcase he looked to Emily for guidance;

"The wooden jigsaw, could you grab it? He likes to play with it whilst I cook"

Steve moved, placing the wooden board in front of the child, watching as little hands grabbed the pieces before stopping and he looked up, a lopsided grin on his face that sent a shock of déjà view through Steve. Puzzled for a moment he met the child’s gaze before shaking his head, the moment lost. Sitting back down at the table he cleared his throat;

"So it’s just the two of you?" he asked nervously

Emily turned and looked at him from where she stood at the stove making scrambled eggs;

"Yeah, just me and Mickey... my husband passed away at the start of the year"

"I'm sorry for your loss"

She looked at him for a moment before answering;

"I'm not..." glancing around the room; "Even in this state we are better off without him"

Steve didn't answer, and let her go back to making the meal, sitting back as she served two plates of food. He watched as she lifted Mickey from his seat and sat herself down, resting him on her lap. It was only then that Steve realised there were only two chairs;

"I can sit on the couch if it’s easier?"

Emily shook her head and smiled as she handed a small spoon to Mickey loaded with scrambled egg from her plate;

"No, its fine. He's quite happy here"

As if on cue the little boy grinned at Steve, egg falling out of his mouth as his smile spread across his small face and there was that hit of recognition again.

Over their meal Steve and Emily chatted, Emily telling him how they moved to New York a couple of years back, her husband having had an accident at work when they lived in DC. He'd gone from a government job to working in the private sector, and job in the spring had taken his life. She found herself sharing more and more with Steve, finding him easy to talk to and a good listener. When their meal was finished she went to rise from her seat but he insisted he should help, saying that it was the least he could do to clear up after she had cooked.

She watched as he stacked the dishes on the counter, running the water into the sink to do the dishes as he moved around;

"Oh the hot doesn't work" she called out to him

He stopped; looking from her to the sink before without a pause he grabbed one of the large pans from the cupboard and filled it with water, setting it onto the stove to boil.

Once he'd finished he turned and leant against the counter, watching as Emily and Mickey played with the jigsaw on the table, seeing how one simple toy could bring so much joy to them both. As he was about to say something the sound of raised voices could be heard through the paper thin walls, the sounds of a struggle and fight. Mickey clung to his mother, both of them going silent as they listened. When the noise finally abated Steve cleared his throat;

"Listen, I know we only just met and you don't really know me... but do you mind if I stick around a little longer? I don't feel comfortable leaving the two of you here on your own whilst _that_ is happening out there"

Emily nodded;

"Thank you, I’d really appreciate it. Some nights its fine here, but others..." she paused as she heard another thump against the wall; "... other nights once one apartment kicks off it seems to trigger the rest"

Mickey curled up to her chest, nuzzling at her threadbare sweater;

"I should really get this little one to bed"

Steve nodded;

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Could you boil some more water so I can fill that hot water bottle? It'll keep him warm until I can get in with him"

Steve realised that she shared a bed with her son, out of necessity of keeping warm. Nodding that he understood he watched as she let Mickey run ahead of her, closing the door behind them as she changed him into his bedclothes. He left them to their own devices as he listened to the occasional sounds coming through the walls from the apartment next door. His enhanced senses could pick up the sounds of metal mechanisms moving, the familiar click of a hand gun being loaded and the safety being taken off. In that instant he knew he had to do something more than just buying this family some groceries. He was lost in his thoughts as Emily returned, preparing all the things for Mickey's bedtime routine. He stepped aside and let her work before she cast him a brief smile and returned back to the bedroom.

He took a seat on the threadbare couch, glancing in through the open door where he could just make out Emily laying on the bed with Mickey snuggled against her as he drank milk from a bottle, the sound of a old music box playing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. After a while he saw Emily shifting carefully off of the bed, tucking the blankets up around her son before she tiptoed out of the room and pulled the door to a little.

"All settled?" he asked quietly

"Yeah, he was really exhausted; it’s been a long day for him... hey would you like some coffee?"

"Only if I’m not intruding?"

"Oh no, it’s nice to have some company for once. I've got some work to do but I can do that whilst I talk"

Steve watched as she prepared the coffee, noticing as she tried to hide the jar of instant granules with her body as she boiled some water;

"How do you take it?" she asked quietly over her shoulder

"Black's fine"

Moments later a steaming mug sat in front of him on the low coffee table, that upon closer inspection he saw was in fact a couple of fruit crates with a pretty embroidered cloth draped over them. He looked back to Emily and saw that she had pulled a stack of neatly folded clothing onto her lap and had set a small lidded box onto the table in front of her. She started to rummage through the box and pulled out a pack of needles and some bobbins of cotton thread;

"This is what you do?"

She looked down at the clothing, gently holding it in her hands as she pushed a finger through one of the holes and wiggled it;

"Yeah, I take on repair jobs from the Dry Cleaners on 85th street"

They sat in a comfortable silence as she started to work, Steve watching as she worked with an incredible skill, her fingers stitching almost microscopic stitches as she darned the items that needed to be fixed. After a while they got chatting, making small talk but as the minutes ticked by they started to open up a little more;

"So have you always done this?" Steve asked, motioning to the pile of jobs awaiting her attention

"Kind of" she smiled and glanced down at her handiwork, as if reminiscing of a past long ago; "I am a trained seamstress, I worked for a big company and helped design uniforms for the staff, it’s how I met my husband..."

Steve saw that her demeanor suddenly changed, as if remembering dark times - darker than she was already experiencing - and felt he needed to say something;

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to intrude"

"You're not" Emily smiled kindly at him; "I left the government job when I became pregnant, but the company was in trouble even before it happened. Whilst I was on maternity leave the company went under. It was the same time that my husband found work in the private sector..." she trailed off, not sure where she was going with her train of thought until she cleared her throat; "Anyway, I made do as well as I could, but with no company to go back to and when he was killed on an assignment, I decided it was time for a new start. I packed up the few things that we had that were just mine and Mickey's, sold the rest to try and clear our debts, and we made our way to New York"

He could see a tear roll down her cheek as she stopped, resting her needlework on her lap as she reached for her coffee and took a sip;

"I'll be honest; I was not expecting it to be this hard"

Steve rested a hand on her arm, but upon seeing her flinch at his touch he immediately withdrew it;

"Sorry....” He paused, gathering his thoughts; "This city can be a hard place. I've lived here my whole life, I’ve seen it destroy people... but I’ve also seen it bring people together"

She looked at him for a moment before reaching her hand out and gently squeezing his;

"Thank you. I'm not sure if I believe you, but it’s been a while since anyone has said anything positive to me"

For a moment they just smiled at each other before she finally released his hand, setting back to her work as she chatted happily about Mickey.

When their coffees had gone cold and the apartment even colder, Steve noticed that after a few minutes silence Emily had fallen asleep where she sat. He gently teased her work from her hands, setting it aside on the coffee table before he slipped his arms underneath her, lifting her gently with ease before carrying her into her bedroom, setting her down next to her Son as he snored quietly, tucking the blankets over her before he tiptoed out of the room. He stopped as he heard the dubious noises coming from the surrounding apartments, the sound of a struggle two apartments down the hall, the distinct sounds of someone sharply inhaling before releasing a low 'Ahhh' noise, and in that moment decided he was going to sleep on her couch, there was something in the pit of his stomach that told him Emily and Mickey were not safe there on their own. Moving her things he fluffed the almost flat cushions before he glanced at the bathroom, deciding to relieve himself before he settled down for the night.

Moments later he stood in the small room, quietly letting the flow of nature take its course when something made him stop, his ears pricking up almost like a dogs as he paused, waiting to see if whatever had been on the periphery of his audible range would come again. After a few moments he laughed to himself, letting himself finish before he quietly washed his hands, drying them off before draping the old towel back over the side of the tub.

When he stepped out of the bathroom he stopped in his tracks, a figure stood in the centre of the lounge, his back to him, peering into the bedroom where Emily and Mickey were sleeping. Instinct immediately cut in, Steve silently sprinting across the room as he caught the intruder in a headlock, slamming him to the floor as he pulled his arms behind his back. In the low light of the room he could tell who it was; her landlord;

"Hey! Let me go!"

"What the hell are you doing?"

"I thought you were gone?!"

"How the hell do you think that justifies breaking into someone’s apartment?"

Steve didn't wait for an answer, instead he gripped the foul mans wrists as he pressed a knee into his back to keep him still, reaching for his own phone as he dialed a number, the sleaze ball beneath him shouting angrily;

"What the fuck? You calling the cops on me? It’s my fucking apartment; I was just comin' to claim what I deserved"

"Premeditated rape?"

"She owes me. And don't bother calling the cops; they'll never set foot in the building"

"I'm not calling the cops"

Twenty minutes later Emily stood in her pyjamas, cradling Mickey in her arms as she watched the heavily armed security force sweep through the building, precinct cops following soon after as the Stark Protection Team provided backup cover to finally shut down the slum for good. A blonde man in a dark jacket appeared at the doorway, looking around before he spotted Steve who still stood in the corner, briefing one of the Officers in charge of the police swoop. Upon seeing him Steve gave the cop a pat on the arm and walked over to the new guest;

"Thanks Clint, I appreciate this. I didn't know who else to call that would have the equipment we needed"

"No problem. You're lucky; I was planning on heading back to the farm tonight but decided to go tomorrow at first light"

Steve walked Clint over to where Emily stood, immediately sensing the bewilderment in her eyes;

"Hey, I’m Clint Barton"

"Hi Agent Barton"

"We've got somewhere safe for you and your son to go..."

Emily cut him off before he could continue;

"I can't go into a safe house... I can't be locked away"

She had a look of panic in her eyes, but calmed as Steve walked over;

"It’s not a safe house...”

"Then where?"

"I have a spare room in my apartment. I know we only just met but I am guessing you know exactly who I am, who we are, and I hope you would trust me enough to allow me the honor of having two houseguests?"

Before Emily could argue Mickey leant towards Steve, his arms held out in a grabby motion. Out of instinct Steve reached out and gently took him from Emily, smiling as the sleepy child settled in his strong arms and played with his dog tags. He explained that she only need pack what they'd need for the night, he'd have a team pack up the rest of her things and they'd be in his apartment by the time they woke up the following morning. Nodding blindly she turned and started to methodically gather the things they'd need; clothing, diapers and toiletries, the baby carrier that she used.

"Do you have a stroller you need to bring?" Clint asked as they started for the door

Emily shook her head;

"No, it’s why I use the carrier, the stroller broke and I can't afford to replace it"

Clint nodded his understanding, holding the door open for her. He saw how she clung to the handles of her small bag until her knuckles went white, knowing that although he could offer to carry it for her, she would cling to those few possessions she had packed and politely refuse.

Outside the building Steve and Clint led Emily to a large black SUV that was parked next to the sidewalk, Clint opening the back door for her;

"The baby seat is this side"

It was then that Emily realised what Steve had been referring to as 'equipment we needed';

"Thank you"

She helped Steve strap Mickey into the seat, trying not to laugh as the small child wriggled against the straps like a four legged octopus, climbing into the back seat herself as she settled into the warm interior. With Steve taking the front passenger seat and Clint driving, they made their way through the night, leaving behind the nightmare behind.

Soon Emily found herself being ushered into a smart apartment building, Mickey asleep in her arms as Steve carried her bag, silently walking along the hallway before he let them into a dark apartment. Turning on a couple of small lamps so they could see the way, he led them to a simply decorated room;

"This is yours... bathroom through there - all yours by the way, I have my own - and you saw the kitchen on our way in. You need anything, absolutely anything, just give me a shout; I’ll be literally in the room next door"

"Thanks Steve"

He paused at the doorway, turning back to her and giving her a smile before he pulled the door closed. Looking around his apartment he wondered how his life was about to change, whether they stayed for one day or one year, his home life was about to be turned upside down. He moved in the low light, silently moving things to higher shelves, realising that his place was not at all toddler friendly, working into the early hours to make his apartment seem more welcoming to his guests, finally turning in to his own bed just as the sky was starting to lighten. Sitting wearily on the side of his bed he reached into his jeans pockets and pulled out the contents, his phone, wallet, loose change, and a small paper packet. He stared down at it, smiling at how what he'd set out from his apartment all those hours ago to get had changed his life for the foreseeable future. Dropping the small packet of buttons into the change tray on his nightstand he stripped to his underwear and crawled into bed, sleep taking him the minute his head hit the pillow.

~*~

Emily woke up warm. For a moment she couldn't fathom the unfamiliar sensation, her toes not in pain where the chill had set in overnight, her nose not encrusted where the cold had made it run in her sleep. Opening her eyes she took a moment to figure out where she was, to remember the events of the night before. In a panic she glanced to her side, but her fears were extinguished the minute she saw Mickey fast asleep next to her, his little limbs spread out in all directions as he snored quietly.

Carefully slipping out of bed she reveled in the feeling of soft carpet between her toes, wriggling them against the deep pile. Finally she started to explore quietly, finding the bathroom and relieving herself, setting the lid down but refraining from flushing as to not wake her child. After washing her face and hands she found a robe hanging on the back of the bathroom door, and although it swamped her she felt more comfortable now she was covered up, her pyjama's feeling too exposed to see a stranger in. She shook her head, Steve wasn't really a stranger she reminded herself; it was just that he didn't remember her.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *** TRIGGER WARNING***  
> There is a paragraph where Emily describes in graphic detail forced self harm. This is in italic text so the reader can skip past this if they wish to do so.

Emily stood in the centre of the living area and gazed in wonder at the pile of bags and boxes in front of her. Somehow she had slept through all of her belongs being delivered to Steve’s apartment, though looking at the pile it wasn’t as if there was that much.

“Mornin’...”

The sound of Steve’s voice made her head spring up, smiling as she saw him in the kitchen at the coffee maker;

“Hey”

“Coffee? There’s a fresh pot just finished brewing”

Her stomach rumbled, it had been weeks since she’d had a ‘real’ coffee. A real _fresh_ coffee;

“Yes, please”

Moments later he was passing her a steaming mug, one that smelt a thousand times better than the instant she’d made him not twelve hours earlier. Sipping the dark liquid she closed her eyes and let out a contented sigh; whatever was going to happen with her and Mickey’s life, right now she was in heaven. Again her stomach rumbled and Steve’s quiet laugh made her eyes spring open.

“There are fresh pastries on the counter behind you”

She turned and looked to see where he was pointing; surprised to see a basket almost overflowing with baked treats;

“When did you have time to get these?” she asked, taking a plate from the neat stack next to the basket and helping herself to a croissant.

“The extraction crew dropped your stuff off just after six. I went for a run once they were done then stopped off at the bakery on the corner of Miller and 71st”

Emily did the mental calculation, stopping mid bite as she glanced at the clock;

“Its 6.45am”

Steve looked up and smiled;

“Yeah?”

“You ran around ten miles, stopped off and got baked goods, and then made it back all in the space of less than forty five minutes?”

Before he could answer the sound of a single cry came from Emily’s room, making them both turn and look;

“Never mind... I’d better go and sort him out, he’s probably hungry”

Emily set her cup and plate aside, Steve watching as she hurried across the room, speaking in a quiet but light tone as she reached the door before disappearing inside. A few minutes later a bright little face appeared in the doorway, his brown hair messy and sticking up at funny angles, his eyes wide as he looked around the unfamiliar room;

“Hi there little man”

Steve called out from the kitchen, causing that lopsided smile to spread across the little boys face, sending a chill down Steve’s spine yet again.  Watching as Mickey walked slowly across the room, taking in his new surroundings before stopping at the large rug, stamping his feet up and down on the softness as he giggled.

“He’s not used to covered floors” Emily commented, smiling down at her son as he felt for the first time in his life what it was like to have a soft rug under his feet through his socks.

Steve watched as Mickey gradually made his way to him, crossing the final few feet at a run as he threw himself into Steve’s arms giggling;

“Hey Buddy, you want some breakfast?”

Mickey squealed excitedly, fidgeting in Steve’s arms as he set him on a chair, watching Steve as he moved around the kitchen. Grabbing a glass he half filled it with milk like he’d seen Emily do the night before, setting it down in front of his happy houseguest who eagerly grabbed it with both hands before carefully bringing it to his lips, spilling a little but for the most part drinking fairly successfully. Emily slid into the seat next to him, poised as she watched him;

“Careful now, you don’t usually use glass...”

She watched him carefully drink before setting the glass down and grinning at her, his chin having a white sheen over it where he’s missed his mouth. Getting up to grab a paper towel Emily paused to load a pastry onto a plate for him, but as her back was turned she heard the sound of the glass shattering on the floor.

Steve was still standing next to the refrigerator when Mickey knocked the glass onto the floor, trying to reach out in time but the condensated glass slipped past his hands and shattered on the stone tiles in his kitchen. What happened next shocked him; rather than the child crying or Emily rushing to clear it up, instead he saw Mickey cower into his arms at the table, hiding his face as he started to shake. Turning to Emily his heart sank as he saw her on her knees, also shaking, muttering ‘sorry’ over and over also with her head bowed.

“Oh god... what happened to you two?” Steve asked rhetorically in a soft voice; “Emily, please, it’s ok. Mickey needs you... could you keep him in his chair whilst I clean this up?”

Steve had seen enough PTSD sufferers to know that she was experiencing a reaction to some sort of past trauma, but what hurt his heart the most was that the tiny child who should never know such things was suffering too. He quickly moved around the room, sweeping the broken glass up efficiently before he got to his hands and knees and ran a damp cloth over the floor, making sure even the tiniest piece wasn’t left behind. Dumping the remains in the trash he washed his hands before he fixed another glass of milk for Mickey, gently placing it in front of the child as he spoke softly;

“There we go little man, have another go... there’s a good boy”

Replenishing Emily’s coffee he also placed that in front of her, noticing how she wouldn’t make eye contact with him as he turned back to finally grab the pastries and plates. Setting everything on the table he took a seat next to Emily, the far side from where her son sat. After a few minutes of silence finally Emily spoke;

“I’m sorry”

“Hey, it was just a glass, it cost like 59 cents, I’ve got dozens more”

“No... I meant for my reaction. I thought I had got past that kind of thing happening. It’s taken a few months to realise that the things that happened in the past remain there”

Steve took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully;

“When you said your husband wasn’t a nice person, I’m guessing that he was the reason for your reaction?” Emily nodded and he could see her lip tremble; “Have you ever sought any help for this? Talked to anyone?”

She shook her head; the first tear sliding down her cheek as she nervously pulled the long sleeved of her pyjamas over her wrists. Steve became aware of Mickey moving in his seat, pulling himself up so he was standing on it as he leant forwards into his mother’s arms, comforting her as she finally let go, wrapping her arms around the boy’s small body and burying her face in his neck, letting the tears flow as she sobbed.

The whole time Steve sat quietly, letting Emily release the pent up fear, self guilt, anger, everything she’d bottled up over the months and possibly years. Finally when the tears stopped he watched as Mickey leant back and smiled; a look of absolute love and happiness on his face as he gazed up at the one person in his life that had been there to protect him from all the scary things. When a giggle escaped his lips one managed to slip out of Emily’s too;

“You’re what makes me want to continue, you know that little man?”

She didn’t get an answer, instead he wriggled in her grasp until she sat him on her lap, watching as he leant over and grabbed her croissant, eagerly biting into it. Steve and Emily watched as he ate, smiling with a mouthful of food at her at every second or third bite. Finally once he’d had enough he thrust the mangled pastry at Steve with a grunt, smiling as he took it. Mickey wriggled off of Emily’s lap, walking slowly to where a stack of magazines sat ready to be taken to the recycling area of the building, picking up the top one and bringing it back to the table. Emily took it from him and laid it flat on the table before helping him up into the seat, watching as he started to flick through the pages, not caring that it was upside down.

“He does this whenever we deliver my work back... speaking of which...”

Steve nodded to the pile of boxes that sat in the lounge;

“Everything has been packed up carefully and is waiting for you to unpack”

“Unpack?”

“I hope you’ll stay for a while... you’re welcome here permanently, whatever you need I’ll sort it out”

Emily scratched her head, thinking as she surveyed her surroundings;

“You have a beautiful home... but you barely know me. Isn’t it dangerous bringing a stranger into your home?”

“Dangerous?”

“A risk? But then I suppose it’s a bigger risk for us” she looked back to her belongings and started to peer into the few boxes that were there.

“How do you mean?”

“Well... we could get all settled then you’d grow tired of us, or you’d get a date and bring them back here only to have us cramping your style”

Steve couldn’t help but to let out a low chuckle;

“I can assure you that dating doesn’t happen...” he watched from the kitchen as Emily continued to search through her things; “And if it makes you happier we can write out a tenancy agreement; set out terms and conditions, even set up a token rent”

“You’ve really thought this through”

Steve got up and slowly made his way into the lounge, standing in front of Emily but respecting her personal space;

“I have”

“But you don’t even know our last name”

“Embers”

“How did you...?”

“It was on a stack of mail in your apartment”

“Oh”

The sound of Mickey squealing from the kitchen had them both turning quickly, seeing that he was pointing towards the window;

“Nee-naw!”

Emily grinned and dropped what she was doing, quickly crossing the room and scooping him up from his seat, taking him to the window. His squeals of laughter echoed around the apartment as they saw a paramedic speed by the building, lights blazing and sirens wailing as it went.

“He likes emergency vehicles” Emily explained, setting him down onto his feet and watching him run into the lounge.

Steve nodded, smiling as he thought how nice it was going to be to not have to come home to a dark apartment anymore.

~*~

It had taken most of the day but by mid afternoon Emily had unpacked, meticulously putting their things away in the sparse storage that Steve had in his spare room. Mickey had gone down for a nap on one of the couches around 3pm, giving Emily chance to pull out some work, quietly picking up where she’d left the project the night before. After a while Steve came over and took a seat at the other end of the couch she was on, setting two mugs of coffee onto the table in front of her before he reached around and pulled a folded piece of paper from his back pocket. Pausing mid-stitch Emily looked at it;

“What’s that?”

“I did some research and pulled a template agreement off of the internet – it’s so helpful – I want you to feel comfortable and secure here”

Setting her work down, she took the paper from him and quickly read through it, nodding as she absorbed each point before looking up at him;

“Rent of $10 a month?”

“It’s the legal minimum amount; I’ll give you a receipt so it’s all above board”

“But ten bucks?”

“If I had it my way it would be nothing, I don’t want anything from you Emily... I only want to help you”

She looked up at him, the kindness in his eyes and realised he didn’t pity her, that it was a look of care and concern;

“Okay, where do I sign?”

Steve grabbed a pen from the table and pointed to the bottom of the sheet, watching as she added her signature before he did the same, pulling a second copy out from behind the first and repeating the process before folding it and handing it to her;

“Your copy”

“Thanks” she nervously chewed her lip; “I can’t pay you the rent until I get this work back to the shop though, I literally have about three dollars to my name”

Steve nodded to the box that her work sat in;

“Check down the side of there”

Puzzled Emily slipped her hand down into the box, confused when she felt a small plastic bag. Pulling it out she looked at the unsealed evidence bag for a moment, the stack of notes inside easily seen through the clear plastic;

“What’s this?”

“It was confiscated from your ex-landlord. It’s the rent you paid him, the extraction team made an exception and allowed me to get this back to you”

She opened the bag and sorted through the notes, it was the exact amount they’d paid the night before, six crisp twenties sat on top of the curled and crumpled smaller notes she’d saved up herself. Taking the newer notes she folded them and handed them to Steve;

“Please, this is what you paid last night, it’s yours”

“No, its fine”

“I’m not a charity; please don’t make this awkward Steve”

Nodding he took the notes, pushing them into his pocket before looking back to her, surprised to see her holding out more;

“What....?”

“My rent”

Smiling he took the $10 bill, pushing himself off of the couch and standing in front of the tall bookcase, surveying his belongings before smiling. He grabbed a small tribal looking earthenware pot that sat on the top shelf - something a good friend had given him on a recent overseas visit – and pushed the $10 into it, putting it back onto the shelf before turning to Emily with a smile on his face;

“Just to let you know, each $10 is going to go in there, so we can use it to get ice cream or a cookie or something at the mall for Mickey. It’ll be his allowance”

He watched as Emily smiled, her biting her lip to stop it trembling, turning back to her work so she could try and hold back the tears of happiness as she concentrated on darning the tear in the garment.

~*~

Later that day after an early dinner Emily saw that Mickey was getting tired, and eager to let him have a warm bath for once the two of them turned in, thanking Steve for his hospitality before wishing him a good night.

Steve had sat on the couch, listening to the sounds of his apartment as he flicked through a magazine, not really reading it, but waiting until it was clear that Emily and Mickey were asleep before he pulled out his phone and made his way to the kitchen – the farthest room from Emily’s – and dialled the number;

“Hi, it’s me... yeah, did you get the text? Is there anything else we need to get? Uh-huh... ok... and take the labels off, okay? Thanks, see you tomorrow”

Stowing his phone into his pocket he decided he would just check on the apartment next door, knowing his neighbour was away for at least another week – a fellow employee of Tony’s – before calling it a night.

~*~

Emily was woken the next morning by a small foot kicking her in the face. Even through the haze of half sleep she knew exactly who had done it, and as she opened her eyes and peered at the culprit she saw Mickey had kicked off the covers and was now lying sideways across the pillows of the double bed. Pulling on the robe that she had now adopted as her own, she silently stepped out of the room and smiled at the sight that greeted her; Steve was sat in the lounge, attempting to sew a button onto a shirt, his brow furrowed in concentration, his tongue poking out of the side of his mouth as he worked the needle through the fabric, missing the button but jabbing himself in the thumb;

“Dammit!” he muttered quietly to himself, shaking his hand to take away the feeling of the needle prick before finally looking up and seeing Emily grinning at him.

“You could have just asked, I’d be happy to do it for you”

Before he could answer she sat next to him on the couch, holding out her hands as he reluctantly passed her the half mended shirt. Steve watched as she surveyed his work, turning it over in her hands before she pulled the thread tight. Setting it down she grabbed her tiny pointed scissors and started to snip away at the haphazard stitches he’d already done.

“That bad huh?”

She looked up, the needle firmly held between her lips as she paused mid snip;

“No” she muttered; “But it will last longer with more uniform stitches”

Steve watched as she got to work, her fingers working quickly and nimbly, and soon the button was fixed in exactly the right spot;

“There, all done”

“Thank you” Steve stood as he took it from her; “I should go and hang this”

She watched as he walked away, finally calling out quietly;

“Is that why you were in my neighbourhood?”

“Huh?”

“To get the buttons. There’s very few places that sell small packs, but I know that haberdashery store has been there decades...”

Steve looked down at the shirt and smiled;

“Yeah, that’s why I was there. Who’d have thought that one nostalgic visit would have brought our lives together”

~*~

By the time Emily had woken Mickey, then bathed, fed, and dressed him it was mid morning. Steve had explained that he needed to work on some mission reports so had politely excused himself; shutting himself away in his bedroom as she played with Mickey in the lounge. When she heard a soft knock at the front door they both froze, not knowing what to do, whether she should answer it. When it came again she then heard a voice call out;

“Steve? Miss Embers? It’s Clint”

Emily tried to remember who ‘Clint’ was as she got up and walked to the door, pausing with her hand over the latch as she wondered, but then he explained for her anyway;

“We met two nights ago?”

Opening the door a little she saw the blond haired man smiling from behind a stack of boxes that he was holding, ducking down a little when Emily stood on her tiptoes and reached for the top one;

“Here, let me help”

“Thanks” he looked over his shoulder; “In here Sam, and mind the paintwork”

Halfway across the lounge Emily looked back to see another man pushing a stroller, hitting the door frame as he tried to angle it into the apartment;

“Yeah ok man, I’m not as used to driving these things as you are”

Upon hearing the commotion Steve appeared from his bedroom, smiling when he saw his two friends standing in his apartment;

“Hey! Thanks for this”

Parking the stroller, Sam turned and shut the door, looking down at the small person that was now standing next to the mini vehicle he’d just rather unskilfully wheeled into Steve’s place, taking a chunk out of the paintwork as he’d done so;

“No worries man”

Sam looked expectantly from Steve to Emily and back again before clearing his throat;

“So you gonna introduce us?”

Steve laughed;

“Sorry. This is Emily Embers and her son Mickey... Emily, this is Sam Wilson, and you already met Clint”

Emily stood in the middle of the room, slightly puzzled as she pointed to the stuff that had appeared;

“What’s going on?”

Clint cleared his throat;

“This is from me... well, me and my wife Laura. I kinda noticed you didn’t have a few things that would probably make things a bit easier for you, and we had a few spares, so I checked with Steve and he said you’d probably appreciate them”

Over the next hour Steve put some coffee on as Emily and Mickey worked through the boxes of second hand clothes and shoes Clint had brought from home, Mickey squealing excitedly when he found the box of giant Lego’s before he proceeded to dump the contents of the box onto the rug and start to play with them. Deciding that she needed more coffee she made sure Steve was watching her son play as she gathered the mugs for everyone else, making her way to the kitchen as she refilled the coffee machine and set about rinsing the mugs. She didn’t hear Sam as he approached, his steps light as he glided through the rooms, and it was only when he was standing next to her did she notice him, making her jump;

“Jesus! Don’t sneak up on people like that!” she cried out, the mug almost slipping from her hand back into the sink of water.

“Sorry about that... I just wanted to see if you needed a hand with anything?”

As he said hand his eyes travelled down to where she was washing the mugs, noticing how her long sleeves were pulled up to her elbows, and the silvery scars that ran along her inner forearms. He paused, immediately recognising the self harm scars from Veterans that had resorted to that kind of thing after severe mental trauma. He cleared his throat when he knew she’d caught him looking, keeping his voice low;

“Listen, I am a volunteer counsellor at the VA, I am here if you need to talk”

Emily cleared her throat;

“Thank you... really, I’m fine”

Emily went to move yet Sam stood still;

“Really, there are people there that can help. Self harm is not something you have to be ashamed of”

Emily closed her eyes and took a deep breath;

“I’d like you to move please”

At the sound and tone of her voice Steve looked up, noticing her body language immediately and quickly making his way into the kitchen;

“Emily? Sam? What’s going on?”

Sam turned to him;

“I’m sorry man, I offered her my help with the VA but I think I overstepped the mark”

“It’s not me that you should be apologising to Sam” Steve spoke slowly and calmly, watching as Emily looked up at him finally.

The sound of Mickey running into the kitchen with Clint following close behind had the three of them turning to the new arrivals, Emily finally taking a deep breath;

“Look, this might as well be out in the open, and for the two of you that don’t know I am going to start at the beginning... could you please sit Mickey at the table with a magazine?”

She watched as Clint helped Mickey onto a chair and laid out a flyer for a department store, the child happily flicking through the pages as the three men turned to Emily;

“As myself and Mickey are now Steve’s roommates I want to get this out into the open so there isn’t any awkwardness...” she took a deep breath before continuing;

“My husband was a horrible person. He was abusive and threatened my life and Mickey’s numerous times, when things didn’t go right at work he took it out on us. When something happened at home that wasn’t to his liking he took it out on us. These...” she pulled her sleeves up and showed the three men her scarred forearms; “Are not self harm scars. I may have been the one that wielded the razorblade, but it was not me that was responsible... that much I have been able to figure out on my own without a therapist...”

Her voice wavered as she stared down at her arms. Steve edged closer, the air in the room tense as Emily took a couple of deep breaths before finally continuing;

_“... he would look at me and tell me to fetch the blades from the bathroom, always taking a new one from the packet. He would sit calmly at the dining table as Mickey sat next to him in his high chair. The gun would be on the table, pointed half at me half at Mickey, his finger resting on the trigger as he waited for me to do it. If I would even hesitate I would be able to see him tighten his grip on the gun, the only warning I would get to go ahead with it. Once he could see the blood run from my skin he would get up and take the razor blade from me, only then satisfied that I had been punished for whatever grievance that had been inflicted upon him that day. He would want me to bleed by my own hand, so that if anyone ever asked he could tell them that I was inflicting the wounds myself...”_

Emily trailed off, her voice going quiet as she stared at the floor, the only sound in the room that of Mickey flicking the pages of the magazine happily.

Steve was the first to move, wrapping his arms around her shoulders as she finally let go and sobbed into his chest. At first he held her lightly, not sure if she would reject his support and comfort, the thoughts of personal boundaries running through his mind as he considered that she was an abuse survivor, but when he felt her soften against him he held her tight, letting her cry it out.

~*~

After her horrifying story, Sam and Clint had excused themselves, Sam apologising profusely for his approach, Clint giving Emily a brief hug and telling her that if she needed anything else to let him know. They said their goodbyes and left, letting Emily and Mickey work through the rest of the items that had been gifted to them.

That night as she worked on the final pieces for her work, she kept glancing at the stroller that sat in the corner of the room, knowing full well that it was brand new, touched that Steve hadn’t wanted her to feel like she was taking charity and to let her keep her pride intact, but the fact that the wheels didn’t have a scuff on them nor was there a single spit up mark anywhere on the upholstery told her everything she needed to know.

As she was finishing up on the last piece of work Steve came and sat next to her, waiting for her to finish before he spoke;

“Here, this is for you”

Emily looked down and saw that he was holding a key;

“Thanks, are you going somewhere?”

“Yeah, I’ll be leaving early tomorrow morning. I’ve got a mission; I’ll be gone a few days at least, possibly even a week. Will you be ok?”

She nodded, looking around the room with a content look on her face;

“We’ll be fine. You’ve shown me how everything works, given me all the emergency contact numbers, stocked the kitchen with enough food to feed an army... yeah, we’re good”

He laughed quietly;

“Well if you need anything, this is the number for Tony...”

“Stark?”

“Yeah, the one and only... he’s the main point of contact whilst we’ll be out of the country. You need anything, anything at all; he will be able to help”

“Thanks Steve”

“You’re welcome”

There was an awkward moment when neither knew what to do or say, finally Steve cleared his throat and stood, saying goodnight as he retired to his room.

~*~

Over the following week Emily and Mickey settled into their new lives, getting into a routine. She took the stroller on the bus to deliver her work back, giving them her new address to send her pay check to. She found a pretty little playground a couple of blocks from Steve’s apartment that had a mother and child swing that she could ride on with Mickey, laughing as he squealed with joy as they swung through the air. The Catholic Church three blocks in the other direction had an open morning each Thursday she’d discovered, and for a dollar donation they served Coffee for Moms and Dads, cookies and milk for the kids, and supplied second hand toys for kids to play with in the hall as the parents socialised. She even found a notice board that had details for a few support groups, feeling brave she took down the details before heading home, not sure if she would ever go, but proud of herself for taking the next step and at least having the information should she be brave enough to venture to them one day.

By the time Steve had been gone six days Emily had found she’d needed to do a grocery store run, finding a small cluster of independent grocery sellers, a vegetable market, a bakery, and much to her delight a small Middle Eastern deli and spice seller. After returning home with some lovingly chosen packets of spices, along with some very reasonably priced cuts of meat she set about cooking a mildly spiced stew, letting it bubble away in the oven for an entire afternoon, filling the apartment with far off scents that made her mouth water.

As she was playing mid afternoon with Mickey on the lounge rug she heard the door to the apartment go, looking up and saw Steve walk in wearily, still wearing his Captain America uniform;

“Hey, you’re back”

She greeted him with a smile, Mickey pushing himself to his feet and running across to hug Steve where he stood.

“Hey little man, you been looking after your Mommy whilst I’ve been gone?”

Mickey made the motions that he wanted to be picked up, but Steve smiled down at him;

“Sorry, let me just change then we can play, ok?”

Emily watched as Steve quickly made his way to his room, closing the door. Moments later he reappeared wearing sweats and a hoodie, his feet bare as he draped his suit over the back of one of the kitchen chairs.

“Something smells good... please tell me there’s enough for the three of us?” he asked hopefully as he peered into the oven.

“There is indeed. In fact there’s probably enough for a few nights to come too. I just need to boil some rice then we can have an early dinner if you like?”

Steve took a seat at the dinner table, helping Mickey up onto one of the chairs as he started to play with the paper and crayons that were still there from earlier in the day. They both watched as Emily moved around Steve’s kitchen as if she’d always lived there, relaxed and comfortable in her new home. Once the rice was boiling she started to clear away the play things and get ready to serve, lifting Steve’s uniform from the chair as she went to place it elsewhere. She paused mid flow, feeling the well worn fabric in her hands as she ran her fingers over a ragged tear along the forearm;

“This will be a nightmare to repair”

Steve looked up, seeing what she was referring to;

“Do you think?” he frowned for a moment; “The supply office keep busting my balls that I’m going through suits like there’s no tomorrow...”

“Well I’m not surprised, just look at the shoddy workmanship here, and this fabric... jeez, what are they using, polyester? The Blue Kevlar one was so much better...”

Steve paused for a moment as he took in her words;

“The blue Kevlar one... the stealth suit? How do you know about that one?”

Emily looked up at him, her face blank as she replied;

“Because I made it”

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

Taking In Strays – Chapter 3

Steve sat with his jaw hanging wide open as he watched Emily turn his suit over in her hands, carefully inspecting the damage. When Mickey called out for a drink she set it down, setting about fetching a beaker for him as she was lost in thought. Finally when Steve cleared his throat did she look up, bringing her back to the present;

“What?”

“You designed my stealth suit?”

Emily nodded, leaning back against the counter, surprised by the strange look on Steve’s face;

“What? You’re looking at me weirdly”

“You are ex-SHEILD?”

“No, I used to work for a subcontractor – Singer Apparel – out of the Triskelion”

“You didn’t think to tell me this earlier?”

Steve suddenly got up and stalked to the window, annoyed that at himself for not doing the sensible thing in his position and checking his roommate’s background, instead he had been caught up in the feelings of almost being a family, of having a friendly face to welcome him home.

“Steve? You’re... you’re scaring me...”

Emily’s voice was quiet, he could hear the emotion making it waiver and as he turned he saw tears in her eyes. For a moment he considered what to do, what to say. Finally he took a deep breath and told himself to look at this logically;

“Emily... I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have reacted like this. It’s just a surprise to find out that our paths had crossed before yet I have no recollection of it”

She sat down next to Mickey who was still colouring red and blue streaks across the page;

“When we first met I could tell that you didn’t remember me, but then why would you? I was merely one of the little people, you had no need to even speak to me, you were needed off with the rest of the Avengers or something Director Fury had planned”

He could hear a sadness in his voice, and for the first time he realised just how much the background staff were underappreciated in his world. He cast his mind back to suit fittings when he worked out of DC, his only memories ones of Nick briefing him as he stood in the Uniform suite and the seamstresses buzzed around him like worker bees, he had no recollection of their names, their faces.

His train of thought was finally broken by the sound of a thud coming through the wall to the apartment next door, his mood immediately lifted as he heard the familiar sounds of his neighbour moving around.

“Everything ok Steve?” Emily asked, concerned that the situation between the two of them had not been resolved.

“Yes, great!” he said brightly, getting to his feet; “I’m sorry; I over-reacted... hey, I just need to head next door for a moment...”

Emily nodded and watched him go, attempting to call out and remind him that he wasn’t wearing anything on his feet, but he had already closed the door behind him, leaving her and Mickey in the kitchen alone;

“Well kiddo... looks like Mommy just dropped a bit of a bombshell on Uncle Steve there...”

Mickey looked up at her and smiled before turning back to his colouring, swirling the crayons around the page in wide circles. Leaving him to his fun Emily started to make the final preparations for their dinner, listening as she heard two deep voices through the thin apartment walls, one she could tell was Steve’s, the other slightly deeper, their conversation interspersed with bouts of laughter. Finally just as everything was ready she heard the sound of the door closing and then Steve appeared, a happy and carefree smile on his face;

“Hey, will there be enough for four?”

“Are we having a guest?”

Steve shook his head;

“Nah, he’s just got back from a long journey, I did ask if he wanted to join us, but I’ll just take him a plate instead if there’s enough”

“Sure”

Moments later she watched as Steve carefully made his way out of the apartment whilst balancing a bowl of the curried stew in one hand, and a bag of bread rolls and a couple of beers in the other. As he left the door open she could finally hear the voice of the guy next door, a deep Brooklyn drawl as he thanked Steve and promised to return the bowl ‘this time’ before they both laughed. When Steve reappeared she was setting out the places on the dining table before helping Mickey to the kitchen sink to wash his hands;

“So your neighbour... he’s an agent too?”

Steve nodded as he fetched glasses from the cupboard;

“He will be. He’s just returned from some treatment overseas, but he’ll be working with me in the future”

He didn’t embellish and Emily didn’t ask, relieved that their earlier conversation was now put to the back of Steve’s mind, the arrival of his friend thankfully changing the subject.

Dinner was fantastic, the stew had turned out perfectly, and even Mickey had wolfed down almost an entire plateful, spreading probably as much rice around the table as he had gotten into his mouth. When he was finished he placed his fork on the table and grinned that now familiar lopsided smile at Steve, his pale eyes sparkling bright as he tiredly rubbed at a smear of stew that had made its way into his hair. Emily laughed and attempted to wipe his hair with a napkin before giving up her futile attempt to clean her son up; instead she smiled at him;

“I think it’s going to be time for your bath soon”

She made to get up and clear the table, but Steve lightly caught her hand;

“Please, let me do this”

“But Mickey... he made most of the mess, I should clear it up”

“Its fine” Steve smiled; “Why don’t you go give the little man a bath and I’ll sort things out in here”

Turning to Mickey she saw him holding his hands up for her to pick him up, pulling him up into her arms as she carried him to their room as Steve started to attempt to find his kitchen beneath the mess.

~*~

The following morning Emily and Mickey slept in, Emily waking well past 9am to find the apartment quiet. Well, their apartment was quiet; the noises coming through the wall told her that the guy that had moved back in next door was not alone. And his female guest was certainly enjoying the reunion. A lot. Repeatedly. If she said ‘oh god’ many more times Emily fully expected the messiah to appear and tell them to stop using the lords name in vain.

Fifteen minutes later she finally heard what sounded like the end of the session, the cries getting louder until her neighbour and his guest reached their peak;

“Thank god for that...” Emily muttered, seeing that Mickey was waking as he stirred next to her, his cheeky little grin peeking out from behind the pillow; “Come on little man, let’s get that diaper changed then we’ll see about some breakfast”

An hour later they were fed, bathed and dressed, heading out of the door to explore the neighbourhood. With Mickey carefully strapped into the stroller Emily paused in the hallway to check the door was locked, as she did so the door to her neighbours apartment opened and a tall leggy blonde stepped out, thanking her host for their night together as she leant in an kissed him before finally disentangling herself and saying goodbye. Emily watched as the woman walked slightly bowlegged down the hallway, and for the first time realised that the emotion she was feeling was jealousy.

Emily paused, not wanting her neighbour to know she was standing in the hallway, unable to see him where he stood in his apartment, only moving once she heard the door click closed. She made her way to the elevator and was soon on her way out of the building, her mind preoccupied as she let it wander to places she hadn’t been for a very long time.

By the time she and Mickey returned to the building it was mid afternoon, Mickey napping in the stroller as she ambled back, thankful that the well maintained building had a fully working elevator and that she didn’t have to pull the stroller up the stairs. As she waited in the lobby and watched the lights above the doors move slowly down she noticed a curvy brunette walk in, her clothes edgy and brave, bright colours that Emily wished she had the guts to wear instead of the muted greys and blacks that she seemed to live in. The woman stood next to her, waiting until the doors opened before she stepped forwards and held her arm against them to allow Emily to push Mickey in;

“Thanks”

“No worries”

“Which floor?”

The woman answered and it was the same one as which Emily was heading to, punching the button as they started to ride up through the building in silence. Halfway up Emily saw the woman smiling at Mickey as he slept, and for once didn’t feel threatened by a stranger;

“I love your dress by the way”

The woman looked down and pulled at the garment;

“Thanks! I got it at the thrift store on Hudson”

“Oh! I didn’t realise there were any around here?”

Although Emily rarely bought herself any clothing, but she knew that her jeans and sneakers were starting to get to the point where they needed to be replaced, and not having the funds for new she’d wanted to find a good quality thrift or goodwill store.

“You should check it out; there is loads of stuff our size there”

At that moment the doors opened and they both stepped out, Emily thanking the woman for her help as they walked along the corridor in the same direction, and it was only then that Emily realised that the woman was stopping at her neighbour’s apartment. Moving around her she let herself into Steve’s apartment, looking over her shoulder and smiling when she saw the woman get swooped up into a strong pair of arms with a giggle before being pulled into her neighbours place. Glancing at Mickey as he still slept she muttered to herself;

“Let’s hope this one is quieter than the last”

~*~

Two hours later she was proven wrong; if anything her neighbour’s latest guest was louder, and certainly even more enthusiastic than the morning guest. Once Mickey had woken Emily had put some cartoons on the TV, hoping that the cheerful music would drown out the noise from next door.

Mickey happily played on the rug with his Lego’s as Emily moved around the apartment, tidying and doing what she could to make sure she didn’t encroach onto Steve’s space. As she was part way through fluffing the cushions on the couch she noticed her reflection in the mirror that hung on the wall behind it, for the first time noticing how her body was starting to look healthier now that she was eating properly and living in comfortable conditions. What the girl in the elevator had said about items being in ‘their’ size at the thrift store came back to her mind. At the time she’d dismissed her comment, she could only dream of having a figure like that girl had, but as she pulled her old misshapen sweater at the back so it clung to her waistline she could finally see that the girl had been telling the truth.

Then it hit her; shame. She had no right to feel like that, she was broken. No-one would want her after what she’d been through; she was damaged goods now, tainted. And it wasn’t like she had anything to offer in a relationship; scared of everything and barely able to provide for herself and her son. The days of being a successful skilled woman were long in the past, now she worked with her hands until she lost the feeling in her fingers, on piece work that earnt her cents at a time. She let the sweater fall loose again, ashamed of the pride and vanity that had surged through her momentarily. Her train of thought was finally interrupted by Steve coming home, smiling at her before he managed to grab Mickey who had propelled himself across the room at an alarmingly quick run.

After having a day of debriefings and paperwork he was looking forward to relaxing, to chatting with Emily about her day and just generally letting his mind go places that didn’t involve training or missions. She’d cropped up in a conversation he’d had with Tony and now had some exciting news for her, but it was something he was going to have to work up to rather than blurting straight out. He helped her make dinner, moving around each other efficiently and happily eating together, afterwards he insisted he cleared up as she sat at the table and watched Mickey play with his crayons. As the clock crept past 7pm Emily took Mickey for his bath, letting him splash around for a little longer than usual, watching him enjoy the warm water and bubble bath she’d picked up for him at the drug store.

Once she’d finally put him to bed Emily quietly snuck out of the bedroom door, glancing up to see Steve standing in the kitchen at the coffee maker;

“Fancy a cup?”

Emily shook her head as she started to clear up again in the lounge;

“No, thanks. I’ve got a bit of a headache and I don’t think caffeine will help...”

“Everything ok?” Steve sounded slightly concerned

“Yeah, it’s just this silly thing?”

He waited by the machine and watched as she started to pick up Lego’s from the floor;

“The new guy next door... are you sure he’s an agent?”

Steve shifted from one foot to another, trying hard not to let the smirk he was fighting to spread across his face, instead clearing his throat;

“Why do you ask?”

“I think he’s got some sort of Mata Hari thing going on... either that or he’s got a sideline as a male escort or something...”

She gathered up some scattered magazines, holding the pile as she walked towards the kitchen to add them to the growing pile to take down to the recycling area in the building, however as she entered the kitchen she stopped in her tracks, Steve barely able to suppress his laughter;

“We have a guest...”

Emily looked at the man sitting at the table with a confident smirk on his face as Steve finally broke, his laughter erupting from deep in his chest;

“Emily, I’d like you to meet my friend Bucky Barnes... our next door neighbour”

She wasn’t sure how, but somehow Emily could have sworn that not only did she flush bright red but that the blood drained from her face simultaneously;

“Shit...”

The man stood and smiled at her, there was something familiar about his face that she couldn’t quite place as he held out his hand;

“Sergeant James Barnes... but everyone calls me Bucky”

He stood grinning with his hand held out until Emily finally came to her senses and set the stack of magazines down on the table before she finally took his hand and shook it, unable to look directly at him but could tell he had a huge shit-eating grin on his face;

“Pleasure to meet you”

“Umm... same... I’m Emily”

“Nice to see who has been keepin’ Stevie here outta trouble”

Finally extricating her hand from his she turned at rested the stack of magazines onto the pile that sat next to the trash can. What she didn’t see was the exchange between the two men in the room; Bucky blatantly staring at her butt and waggling his eyebrows as she stacked the magazines neatly, Steve shaking his head and glaring at his friend. As she stood Steve cleared his throat;

“Can I get you a tea or anything?”

“Thanks, that’d be nice. Do you mind if I don’t join you? I’ve got some work to do...”

Steve chewed his lip as he watched her take a seat next to the lamp in the lounge, pulling out her workbag and get started on her new tasks. He quickly made her tea, taking it into the lounge and setting it quietly down on the coffee table in front of her, pausing and sitting next to it so he was facing her. She looked up, confused by his sudden closeness;

“What?” she asked quietly

“Umm... You came up in conversation at work today”

“I what?”

“Well... I was getting my butt chewed out again by the supplies officer – again – for ruining another suit, and I suggested we move back to using the Kevlar suits... Anyway, he said that they didn’t have the skill set to make the suits from that composite material...” he paused, considering his words; “Well... one thing led to another and I mentioned that you used to design for SHIELD...”

“I didn’t work for SHIELD” Emily interjected

“Ok... whatever, but they understood what I was getting at, and a couple of members of the team started to campaign to Tony...”

“Stark?” she interrupted again

“Uh-huh. Anyway, it was agreed that the uniform department needs to up their game, and...well... Tony would like to invite you to the training facility for an interview”

Emily sat back on the sofa, considering what Steve had said. Finally she looked at him;

“When?”

“When what?”

“When do they want to interview me?”

Steve paused, pulling his phone out of his Jeans and quickly scrolling through the numbers, hitting call and listening to it ring before a familiar voice answered;

“Captain”

“Tony, I’m here with Emily”

“Miss Embers, I hope the evening is treating you well?”

“Umm... yes, thank you Mr Stark”

“Please call me Tony. I’m hoping the reason for your call is that Steve told you we’d like to meet you?”

“Yes... if you could give me some more details?”

“How about you pop along to the facility tomorrow with Steve? Bring the munchkin, there’s a crèche here, let’s say about 10am? All very informal, we’ll have a chat and see if there is something we can offer you Miss Embers”

“Err... thank you Mr Stark”

“Please... it’s Tony...”

“Thank you... Tony”

Steve hung up, a huge grin on his face as he stuffed his phone into his pocket;

“Well...?”

Emily sat back, rubbing her hands over her face;

“Wow... I don’t know what to say...” then it hit her; “Shit... what am I going to wear? I’ve lived in Jeans and sweaters or tees for the last two years. I had to sell all my suits... I’ve got nothing for an interview... And where is the facility? If it’s close I could possibly run down to that thrift store the girl I met in the elevator was on about...”

Emily was rambling, the nerves setting in as she realised she was wholly unprepared for yet another huge change in her life. In the corner of the room Bucky cleared his throat as he leant against the kitchen doorway;

“I could help with that?”

Steve and Emily both looked at him, confused as to what he meant when he quickly left the apartment, leaving the door open. They could hear him rummaging around in his apartment through the thin walls before he reappeared carrying a box, setting it down on the table in front of her;

“What’s this?”

Bucky suddenly looked bashful when he actually realised how big of a box he’d put in front of Emily;

“It’s all the stuff my err... visitors... have left in my apartment... Some of it might be of use to you...”

Emily started to rummage through it, pulling out stacks of neatly folded garments, holding various pieces up until she came across a plain black shift dress;

“Okay, how does someone manage to leave a one night stand without an entire outfit?” Emily asked rhetorically

Bucky squinted as he racked his brain to remember which girl had left it behind;

“Yeah... that was Tina... she was a nurse so had her scrubs in her purse so left in those”

After a couple more minutes Emily found a long sleeved white shirt that was about the right size and laid them flat on the couch next to her, muttering to herself;

“Yes... this should work... it’ll be damn cold without pantyhose but yeah... this could work...”

She looked up to see Steve and Bucky smiling at her;

“Sorry... I guess I’m just excited about tomorrow”

“No worries Doll’, at least my male escort services have come in useful” Bucky grinned as he quipped sarcastically.

“You can try them on in my room if you didn’t want to wake Mickey?” Steve offered

Emily nodded, taking the two garments and quietly shutting herself in Steve’s room. Seconds later there was a quiet knock at the door just as she was taking her jeans off;

“Umm yes?”

“I’ve got something else that might work”

It was Bucky’s voice, Emily stood behind the door and opened it a crack, looking down to where he was holding a small bundle in his hand;

“It’s all been washed... it might help with the cold”

Taking what he was holding Emily thanked him and shut the door, looking down at what she was holding and saw that it was a lacy garter belt from Victoria’s Secret and a pair of Nude stockings. She couldn’t help it when a small nervous giggle escaped her lips, she couldn’t remember the last time she wore anything like it.

A few minutes later she slowly opened the door, stepping out in her stockinged feet;

“What do you think?”

Steve and Bucky looked up; a huge smile spread across Bucky’s face as Steve’s jaw dropped;

“You look amazing” “Stunning”

Blushing she smoothed the dress down her body, looking down at her feet;

“I just need to figure out what the hell I’ll wear on my feet and then I’m all set... I think I’ve still got some boots somewhere... I could probably polish them up a bit...”

Bucky dived back into the box, rummaging right at the bottom before he pulled out a pair of skyscraper heels;

“They might be a little big... Mara who wore them was about a foot taller than you...”

Emily took the shoes, staring at them as she turned them over in her hands;

“Someone left behind a pair of Louboutins?”

“What’s so special about a pair of shoes?” Steve asked

“Only that they cost about $800 a pair”

“For shoes?”

Emily nodded as she steadied herself on the arm of the couch, slipping first one then the second shoe on, wobbling a little as she tried to grow accustomed to wearing heels again. She took a couple of steps, stumbling after the third only to find herself back in Steve’s arms;

“I think they’re a little big...”

Steve smiled as he set her back on her feet, his hands resting on her hip for a fraction longer than needed before he cleared his throat;

“Here, let me show you how to stuff the toes with newspaper to make them smaller”

~*~

The ride to the Avengers Facility was a slow one, getting caught in the end of rush hour before they finally got out into open countryside. Steve had surprised Emily when she’d questioned how they would transport Mickey safely, only to be shown a new car seat that had been fitted into Steve’s standard issue Ford Explorer. She’d opted to ride in the back alongside Mickey, and it would seem Bucky who was also tagging along for the ride was more than happy to not have to call shotgun for the front seat.

Upon their arrival Steve had parked in front of the building, helping unload Mickey as Emily carefully climbed out, still unsure of herself as she wore the shoes she’d been leant, but happily watching as Steve led him by the hand into the building, his toys and diapers loaded into a backpack he’d dug out of his closet.

In the lobby they were met by Tony who greeted Emily warmly, throwing casual insults at Steve and Bucky as they both countered back. Finally he gestured for them to move along;

“Miss Embers, shall we begin”

“Don’t I need to check Mickey into the crèche?”

“It’s ok, we can keep an eye on him” Steve shouted as he sprinted after the toddler who had just seen Clint appear.

Emily watched as Bucky followed Steve, picking up the backpack from where Steve had dropped it to race after her child.

“He’ll be fine...”

Tony’s voice reassured her as she watched her son leave her sight for the first time in over a year, taking a deep breath as she followed her prospective new boss further into the building.

~*~

An hour later Emily was shaking Tony’s hand having signed her contract. Her interview had been more of a hands on approach as she’d been shown around the Supply Department, almost being tested as she was handed batch after batch of new uniforms, finding flaws in the construction of the suits and the manufacture quality of the fabric. Tony had laughed as the Supply Manager had got flustered, only to be reassured that the woman standing in his office wasn’t there to replace him, but to work alongside and ease his workload.

As Tony walked Emily back to the communal area that was surrounded by the apartments for the team that lived on site they made small talk, Tony doing most of the talking as Emily concentrated on not tripping over in her heels. Ever the gentleman he held the door open for her, letting her step inside ahead of him.

At the sight of his Mommy entering the room Mickey let out a squeal of excitement and ran across to greet her, his arms held out as she scooped him up into her arms;

“Hey there little man, guess what? Mommy’s got a proper job now”

He squealed and wriggled in her arms as she set him back down, Bucky and Clint appearing around the corner as they kicked a soccer ball back and forth, letting Mickey run after it. She spotted Steve walking up to her and before he could protest she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him;

“Thank you”

“Me? Surely you should be thanking Tony”

“I also accept hugs” Tony interjected as he watched with a smile

Emily turned back to Steve, releasing him from her grasp and standing in front of him;

“Without your kindness I would never have had these opportunities, so yes, it’s you I am thanking”

Without thinking she stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his cheek, smirking as she saw him blush a bright shade of crimson. Before he could actually say something Mickey came up to the pair of them holding the soccer ball. Emily slipped her heels off as Bucky passed her, gently tapping his hand on her arm;

“Tag, your turn... that kid is wearing me out”

She laughed as she ran after her Son, enjoying the kick around now that a couple of female Agents had appeared and seemed to be part of the team that worked with Clint. Steve and Bucky stood watching her, Bucky digging Steve in the ribs as he spoke quietly;

“You are totally in with a chance there!”

“Buck!” Steve hissed

“I’m just sayin’. The way she threw herself at you... and just think; you know what she’s wearing under that dress... You always had a think for Dame’s in stockings...”

“BUCK!”

Steve was now thoroughly bright red, trying to hold his face in his hand as Bucky stood next to him with a huge grin on his face. When Steve heard the sound of the soccer ball bouncing towards them he looked up and couldn’t help but to smile as Emily ran towards him chasing after it. Bending down to scoop it up she stood with the two guys, laughing as she tossed the ball back to Clint who had Mickey running around his feet;

“Ok I’m out, Mommy needs her rest”

She fanned her face as she stood next to her roommate and his friend, smiling as Tony sauntered over to them;

“You’ve integrated with the team quickly, it’s good to see. I think its pizza time. We’ll order in, get some good ones delivered, how’s that sound?”

He didn’t wait for an answer, calling out to the AI;

“FRIDAY, could you arrange for a selection of large pizzas to be delivered to the compound pronto? Say a dozen?”

“Of course Sir” the slightly artificial voice replied through the speakers in the ceiling.

Emily stared up at it, a puzzled look on her face as Steve explained;

“It’s Stark’s Artificial Intelligence Personal Assistant”

“Uh-huh. What happened to JARVIS?”

It was Steve’s turn to look surprised;

“How do you...? I mean... Umm...”

“I used to do a couple of trips a year down to the SHIELD agents based out of Stark Tower, the last time I remember the AI it was a male voice”

As if on cue Vision appeared, smiling at Emily;

“Mrs Rumlow; so wonderful to see you again”

 

 

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

Taking In Strays – Chapter 4

The room fell into a stony silence, everyone’s gaze turning towards Emily as she stood nervously shifting from one foot to another. She didn’t know where to look, but eventually her eyes met Steve’s and the first tear slid down her cheek as he spoke;

“Rumlow? As in Brock Rumlow?”

Emily nodded, biting her lip. She was scared. Scared that they would think she was Hydra, scared that they would take away every single shred of happiness that had been given to her over the last couple of weeks since she’d met Steve. What happened next surprised her; Steve hugged her;

“I’m so so sorry... oh my god...”

She stood teetering on the balls of her feet, unsure what to do or say, so when Steve finally let her go, a sea of apologetic faces greeted her rather than the anger she’d been expecting. Finally finding her voice she spoke;

“I’m not sure what you’re apologising for... it was me that kept this secret from all of you”

“I knew” Tony interjected; “Came up in the background check”

“And you still want to hire me?”

“Yep. Done deal, you’ve signed the contract now... i pretty much own your soul too” he said in his forthright way; “Ooh, pizza should be here soon, I hope all you heathens will at least leave me a slice this time”

Emily didn’t know what to do or say, still unable to meet Steve’s gaze, instead she saw Mickey walking towards her chewing his fingers;

“Hey honey... are you hungry?”

The little boy nodded, his attention moving to the fruit bowl on the counter top and reaching for a banana;

“Is that ok?”

Tony nodded;

“Sure, housekeeping get a fruit basket in each week for this lot yet they seem to want to eat candy instead, it would be nice for someone to eat the healthy things...” he said as he pointedly looked at his colleagues.

With that the room seemed to spring back into life again, Sam and the two women arguing with Tony that they worked hard enough to be allowed a treat or two, Bucky and Clint kicking the soccer ball back and forth as Steve, Emily and Mickey sat at the central island in the kitchen area. Tony had made himself scarce as he answered a call on his cell phone, leaving them to get settled back in.

“I’m sorry i didn’t tell you” Emily said quietly as she watched Mickey eat.

“Why did you think you needed to keep this from me?”

“In case you thought i was Hydra... in case you thought i was like him”

“I think you’ve proven you aren’t... You know i worked with him before...”

Emily shook her head;

“No? He never told me that...” she looked out of the window; “But then he didn’t tell me much... i only found out he was a double agent three months after the Triskelion was destroyed when his paycheck suddenly went up”

Steve didn’t know what to say; instead he just sat with them, hoping that Emily would now trust him with any further secrets. As the thought crossed his mind he felt a painful emotion pass through him, about how hypocritical it was to not want her to keep secrets from him, when what he was keeping from her was that he was the one responsible for her husband’s death... for the death of her son’s father. He looked up and saw Wanda staring at him, knowing she was thinking the same thing; that this wonderful person was now going to be in their lives on a daily basis, and their actions had been the catalyst for their lives to change so drastically.

~*~

The ride back to their apartment had been a quiet one; Bucky deciding to stay behind at the facility so he could attend a couple of briefings, promising Steve he could make his own way home. Mickey had fallen asleep in his car seat before they’d even left the facility’s grounds, snoring quietly as Emily rode in the front with Steve. Sailing through the mid afternoon lull in traffic they were soon entering the city, flowing through the urban roads with ease when Steve finally spoke having let Emily be at peace with her thoughts up until then;

“You ok?”

She turned and smiled at him, nodding;

“Yeah... Just kind of exhausted. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind of emotions over the last 24 hours... and nervous about starting back at work. I’m not sure how Mickey will cope with daycare”

Steve reached out and took hold of her hand, holding it lightly as he stroked the back of her wrist with his thumb;

“You’re going to be fine. And like Tony said, its not a full time position, its merely an advisory role, a couple of hours in Stark Tower each week. Plus there’s a full day care and crèche facility there. From what you’ve said about the parent and child group you visit at St Angelo’s down the street he’s loved playing with the other kids”

Emily bit her lip, knowing he was right;

“I guess so...”

Steve considered his words for a moment;

“You’re scared to let go...”

“He’s all i’ve had for so long... and i’m all he’s had. It feels like he’s growing up quicker than i can keep up with...”

Her voice finally broke, her lip trembling as the tears started to run down her cheeks. Steve pulled his hand from hers and wrapped it around her shoulder, pulling her to his side;

“Come here” he said kindly, letting her rest her head on his shoulder as she sniffled before finally laughing

“Sorry”

Without thinking he pressed a kiss to the top of her head;

“There’s nothing to be sorry for”

As they continued their drive Steve glanced in the rear view mirror at Mickey as he slept, looking at the small boy as he slept peacefully, his face moving slightly as he dreamt about something, smiling in his sleep. Steve’s mind wandered, still enthralled by that lopsided smile the kid had, and even now knowing his full parentage it still niggled him that something didn’t sit right.

“Watch out!”

Emily’s voice snapped him out of his daydream, slamming the brakes on just in time to stop behind the line of traffic waiting at the red light he hadn’t spotted.

“Sorry” he said meekly, unwrapping his arm from Emily’s shoulders as he shifted in his seat, pulling away gently when the lights turned green; “Urgh... let’s just get home... you’re right, it’s been a long day”

That evening once Emily had put Mickey to bed and she returned to the couch, she sat back and closed her eyes, feeling the cushions dip next to her as Steve sat down. She heard the clink of china against the table, smiling but not opening her eyes;

“Please tell me that’s not coffee...”

“Cocoa...”

Her eyes sprang open and she smiled at him;

“Thank you” He watched as she sipped her drink, a groan that escaped her lips as she tasted the delicious chocolate stirring something within him;

“Do you think you’re ready for your first day?”

Emily rested the mug on her lap as she considered her answer;

“I think so... i still need to get some more work clothes... that box of cast offs Bucky provided doesn’t really hold anything else that would be suitable for daytime wear... or outerwear for that matter... but shopping with Mickey is a pain in the butt. I don’t know, i guess i’ll have to drag him down to the thrift store”

“Why don’t i watch him tomorrow morning so you can go on your own?” he suggested, watching as the suggestion caught her off guard; “He knows me, it’ll get him used to you being gone for an hour or so...”

Emily thought about this, considering her options before finally nodding;

“Thanks Steve. I don’t know what i’d have done without you”

He didn’t answer, instead they just sat in a comfortable silence sipping their drinks. Finally Steve gathered his thoughts, able to put into words something he’d been thinking about for a while but not sure how to say it;

“You know... even now i know about Brock being Mickey’s dad...” he took a deep breath; “I guess he must take after your side of the family...”

He laughed gently as he looked up at Emily, still realising what he said could tread a fine line between ridiculous and insulting. But when he saw her lips curl at the corners of her mouth he could finally relax as she spoke;

“You’re very observant Steve... And you’re right, he doesn’t look like Brock... because Brock isn’t his father”

Emily watched Steve’s jaw drop like a lead weight as he attempted to process what she was saying;

“Huh... how...what do you... umm, sorry? I’m not following...”

As he stuttered out his words Emily couldn’t stop the smirk that spread fully across her face, finally able to tell someone that would appreciate the irony of such a ‘mans-man’ being an utter failure;

“Brock couldn’t have children. His swimmers didn’t swim”

“Oh...”

“So when he got his ‘bonus’ from Hydra, the first thing he spent the money on was going to a fertility clinic to make sure that his comrades didn’t think he was a failure in the bedroom. A year or so previous i’d let slip to one of my work colleagues that we had started to try for a baby, word spread, and then a year down the line and he was being asked why there wasn’t a little Brock on the way yet. I think he was hoping that it was me that was the problem... damn, i still remember the day that the doctor told us together that Brock was the failure... it was probably the best moment in my entire marriage”

“So Mickey is a test tube baby?”

Emily smiled at the old fashioned way of describing the procedure;

“Yes, Mickey was conceived in a lab, he’s the result of IVF – In-Vitro Fertilisation – and it was that which made me actually want to go through with it; knowing that i wouldn’t be carrying Brock’s child”

She paused as she finished her Cocoa, setting the cup down onto the table as she settled back onto the couch;

“He made sure that he picked a donor – he refused to call him a father – with the same physical traits as himself; Tall, Dark Hair, Military. I doubted the Military bit myself, but well... the kid is tall with dark hair so i guess that bit was correct”

Steve sat and thought about what Emily had said for a few moments, deciding that as what had happened no longer weighed quite so much on his conscious it was time to tell her;

“You have no idea how pleased i am to hear this...”

“What do you mean?”

“When Brock was killed in action, did Hydra give you any details?”

“Only that he was killed in Africa”

“Lagos to be precise. As he was about to set off a biological weapon in a crowded marketplace”

“How do you know this?”

“Because i was there... because i was the one...”

Steve trailed off, his voice failing him just as he was about to admit that he was the one that took a person’s life. He looked up at Emily and saw her biting her lip, her eyes watering as she held back the tears;

“Thank you”

“I’m so sorry Emily”

“Don’t be...”

He wasn’t expecting her to suddenly reach over and throw her arms around him, hugging him tight as she kept muttering ‘thank you’ over and over again. He wasn’t sure what to do with his hands, she’d caught him by surprise but eventually he rested his hands on her hips as she sat across his lap, her face buried in his shoulder and her voice muffled when she finally spoke;

“You freed us... Our lives weren’t drawn together two weeks ago on that sidewalk, it was six months ago when you released us from being his captives. He didn’t lock us away from the world, but he locked us within ourselves”

For a moment they just held each other, comfortable in each other’s arms before finally they came to their senses and realised just how close their bodies were to each others. Emily cleared her throat and awkwardly got up, apologising for her forwardness;

“It’s ok”

Steve laughed as he watched her collect the now empty Cocoa mugs, unable to stop staring at her as she left the room, shifting in his seat and as he attempted to hide his body’s natural response to holding her soft body in his arms. Crossing his legs he casually picked up a magazine, hoping it would hide the way his pants had distorted in shape, not realising it was upside down as she returned to the room;

“I guess i should say goodnight” Emily stood for a moment in the middle of the room, hooking her thumb over her shoulder; “Thanks Steve... for everything”

He pulled his trademark 1000 watt Captain America smile, nodding to her;

“You’re welcome, night Emily”

She returned his smile before finally making it into her room, closing the door quietly as not to wake Mickey. As she stood for a moment she let her back rest against the cool wood of the door, a surge of pride coursing through her as she recalled feeling Steve’s body respond to hers, and the way he’d had to hide his arousal from her with the upside down magazine. Even if nothing happened between them, it was still flattering to know that she wasn’t as ugly as Brock had told her she was.

~*~

Although Emily had been nervous about leaving Mickey behind as she ran to the thrift store, when she'd returned an hour later she was relieved to find Steve playing with him on the lounge floor, building his Lego's into various New York landmarks. After running her purchases through the dryer on the refresh setting she got herself ready for her first afternoon at Stark Tower, Steve offering to help her find her way on the public transit system with Mickey in the stroller, helping her feel at ease even though he could see she was being eaten up by nerves.

Tony had arranged all the admissions and permissions forms to be printed up in advance, all Emily had to do was to sign them and say her goodbyes to Mickey, who much to her dismay actually ran off into the crowd of other kids and sat with them on the rug to listen to the person telling story time.

Steve walked her to the department door, watching as she rocked on her heels before she took a deep breath;

"Well... this is it I guess..."

He gave her a hug, rubbing her arms with his warm hands;

"Go and kick some butt... and get me that Blue Suit back..."

He watched as she walked in, the head of department greeting her and left her to it. He considered his options on how to spend his afternoon, and decided to return to the daycare centre like he usually did, to surprise the kids who like to play rough house with Captain America.

~*~

Two Weeks Later

Emily was stood at the vending machine in the break room as it swallowed her money and refused to spit out the dark sludge it pretended to call coffee. The machine beeped and whirred, before finally letting out a high pitched squeal like noise and powered down;

"Oh for fucks sake!"

A quiet laugh behind her made her turn, and her breath was taken away from her;

"Sharon!"

The two women looked at each other in disbelief for a moment before hugging, old friends that had been separated after the fall of the Triskelion, and with Emily moving to New York she'd lost contact with Sharon.

"Oh my god! What are you doing here?!"

Emily blushed, realising that there was what felt like an entire lifetime of updates to fill her friend in on, however the very first thing didn't need to be said as Sharon quietened her voice;

"I'm sorry to hear about Brock..."

Taking a deep breath Emily smiled;

"I'm not. I guess I need to fill you in on a few things..."

Sharon accompanied Emily back to her department, the failed coffee attempt long forgotten, updating her friend on the last two years, and more specifically the last month or so, Sharon's jaw dropping more and more until they agreed that Sharon would give Emily a ride home, Mickey having spent the day with Steve and Bucky rather than in daycare as Clint had brought the kids to the city. The one thing she hadn't told Emily was who her room-mate was, she didn't want anyone to know just yet that such a low down worker bee like herself was roomies with one of the most important Avengers.

At the end of the day as Sharon eased her SUV out into Manhattan rush hour traffic, Emily started to pad out the details, showing Sharon the photo of Mickey she kept in her wallet;

"No offence Ems but he doesn't look like Brock"

Emily laughed;

"God, you are a lot more to the point than when my room-mate noticed... but you're right. He's not Brock's. We had IVF"

Emily explained just like she had to Steve, but this time adding her thoughts that had crossed her mind recently;

".... you know, the clinic said that there is a confidential contact service, a way to communicate with the donors and thank them, pass on photos etcetera. I write a letter, they blank out any of my personal details, then they readdress it onto the donor"

"Are you gonna write to him?"

Emily nodded;

"Yeah, I think I am. I want to thank him for giving me the most wonderful child and helping me to complete my life"

Sharon dropped Emily at the corner of her block, making sure she was happy to walk the last few buildings to Steve's apartment. As she waited to cross the street Emily glanced down the road and saw the small office supply store on the corner and she made a decision.

That night after Mickey was asleep and Steve had called it a night, Emily sat at the kitchen table, the patterned paper with the small balloons around the top right corner having caught her eye. She penned her letter carefully, thinking for a long time about the wording and what she wanted to say. Before she sealed the envelope she dug out one of the snapshots Steve had printed for her after they'd had photo day at daycare, a spare photograph that had been meant to go into a keyring, but they hadn't gotten around to sorting it out yet. She stuck the envelope down and tucked it into her purse, making sure to mail it the next day on her way into work.

~*~

After the letter had been sent Emily soon forgot about it, her work keeping her busy, and her home life settling into a routine. After one particularly long day where Steve had collected Mickey from daycare and taken him home, Emily had finally walked in the apartment with a stack of dress patterns under her arms for new tactical gear suitable for arctic weather, a bag of samples hanging from her other hand as she dropped her keys and purse on the floor. Mickey came running across the room and flung himself into her arms;

"Mamma!"

"Hey little man... you been good for Stevie?"

She saw that he was already in his pyjamas and she looked at Steve;

"Everything go OK?"

"Yeah... there was a bit of a jello incident with Nathaniel and Mickey... bath time happened early so we thought it best just to get them straight into their night gear"

"Have you eaten already?"

Steve nodded but hooked his thumb over his shoulder;

"Uh-huh, but there's Chinese take-out in the fridge. Clint says you can 'nuke' it... but I presume that means something different to you than it does to me"

Emily got changed and set out serving a plate of noodles and dim sum for herself, putting it into the microwave before giving Mickey a bottle of milk as he sat on the couch next to Steve. By the time her meal was heated through Mickey was fast asleep, Steve offering to lift him into bed as Emily sat down on the couch, putting her feet up as she let her aching muscles relax.

As Steve re-entered the room there was a light knock at the door, opening it to see Bucky;

"Do I smell Beef Noodles?"

Steve laughed;

"Come in Buck... there's still some left"

Emily watched them as she ate, admiring the friendship dynamic they had; Steve pre-empting Bucky's inability to go grocery shopping, Bucky pointing out the smallest detail that could mean a break or leak could be stopped before it even started. Bucky insisted he didn't need a bowl, he'd just take the take-out container back to his apartment;

"Nah, I'm fine man" he said as he shovelled noodles into his mouth with a fork

"Hey, I picked up your mail on my way up earlier..." Steve motioned to the pile that was sat on the counter; "It was starting to escape your mailslot"

"Thanks" Bucky looked over to Emily and smiled, nodding his head; "Hey Ems"

"Hey Bucky... Enjoy your food"

Their mooching neighbour grinned at her as he simultaneously shovelled another mouthful of noodles into his mouth at the same time as opening the door, all whilst his mail was tucked under his arm.

Steve shut the door behind his friend, laughing quietly before settling down next to Emily on the couch;

"You had a good day then?"

"Mmm-hmmm" Emily answered through a mouthful of food, finally swallowing; "Busy... but I'm really enjoying it"

Steve filled her in on his antics with Mickey during the day as Emily finished her meal, and when she'd finished and they put the TV on quietly, it seemed only natural that she found his arm around her shoulders, resting her head against his wide shoulders. As a quiet knock came at the door again they both looked at each other;

"Perhaps its Bucky back for seconds?"

Emily suggested as she went to get up, Steve telling her that he'd get it. She watched as he peered through the peep-hole and grinned at her, opening the door wide;

"There's still some Chow Mein left"

Bucky stepped into the room nervously;

"Actually... I'm here to see Emily"

At the sound of her name she looked up, noticing Bucky standing bolt upright as he shifted from one foot to another. She saw his eyes were brimful of tears, just one trigger all it needed for them to spill over. He looked down and she followed his gaze, down to the piece of paper he held in his hands. She'd recognise it anywhere, the pattern had been on both sides; the small cluster of balloons in the top right corner.

  
  


 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Settling into life with Steve, Emily has some big decisions to make about who is included in their lives, and what roles they’ll play. But when she both lives and works with someone, she finds that the line between friendship and taking things further can soon become blurred.

Taking In Strays - Chapter 5

Bucky stood staring at Emily, but her reaction was not what he was expecting;

"How did you get that?!"

"Its... Its mine"

"What do you mean its yours? How can it be yours? Is this some SHEILD thing? Did you intercept my mail?"

By now she was on her feet, her brow furrowed as she stalked across the room and went to yank the letter from Bucky's hands, yet he pre-empted her move and swiped it high above her reach, holding her back with his metal arm;

"No! You can't take this away from me Emily, its the truth and i've never felt happier than when i read your letter..."

Bucky's voice was desperate, as if his life depended on what the letter contained. All this time Steve was standing next to them, no clue at to what was going on;

"Will someone please tell me what this is about... before we wake Mickey"

"He has my letter i sent to the fertility clinic!"

"You sent them a letter?"

Emily sighed, trying to regain her composure;

"Yes. I'd been thinking recently about how i'd like to thank the donor for giving me such a wonderful child. They have this anonymous mail forwarding service where they blank out my details and pass it onto the donor"

"And that's me" Bucky cut in

"How can it be you?" Emily asked Bucky

"Did you by any chance go to a clinic in DC about two and a half years ago?"

Emily nodded, watching as he sat quietly on the couch, his fingers carefully holding the letter and photograph she'd sent;

"It was after i'd escaped Hydra - with Steve's help though i didn't really know it at the time - and effectively made myself a homeless convict. I needed money and enough of it to get out of the country, to go to europe or the far east, anywhere to get away from the resulting chaos of the helicarrier and Triskelion... I found a support centre, somewhere that would help people get back on their feet. I worked construction for a few weeks but it wasn't enough... Then i was working a job at a hospital and there was a poster on the wall asking for donors. They were offering thousands for... well... you know what it was for..."

Bucky's cheeks had blushed bright red as he tried to edge around the notion of just how he donated, Steve cutting in;

"Its ok Buck... we understand that bit"

The room fell into silence as they all looked from one to another, trying to take in the news that had now confronted them. Steve was the one to finally break the silence;

"Jesus Christ!" his hands flew to his face; "Why didn't i see it before!"

He laughed as he looked at Emily;

"That first night we met... jesus... I saw Mickey's lopsided grin and it shot a chill through me. I couldn't place it... it was like seeing someone from long ago..." he paused as he looked at Bucky; "And it was... he looks just like  _you_ "

Bucky stood nervously;

"Can i see him? Can i see Mickey?"

"But you've seen him before..."

"But... but now... now i know..."

Emily took a deep breath, steadying her nerves;

"Ok. But you have to be really quiet"

"Like a mouse. Cross my heart. I just want to see..."

The three of them went to the door to Emily's room, the two men watching as she silently turned the handle before poking her head inside. Turning she held her finger to her lips and the three of them walked in, Steve standing back as she and Bucky knelt next to her bed. The room was silent save for Mickey's quiet snores until they heard a sniff;

"Sorry" Bucky whispered.

It was then that it hit Steve; Bucky was crying silently here in the dark. Stepping across the room he clamped a hand onto his friends shoulder as Emily gave him a hug before getting up;

"Come on" she whispered; "Lets leave him sleep"

The Emily let the two guys go ahead, quietly closing the door behind them;

"I need a drink..."

Bucky used his flesh hand to wipe the tears from his cheeks, a huge grin on his face as he let out a nervous laugh;

"Me too"

~*~

The next morning Emily was woken by squeals of delight coming from the lounge. Looking up she saw that the bedroom door was open and Mickey was standing on the couch, jumping and reaching up to someone that was just out of her line of sight. Pulling her adopted robe on she dragged herself out of the room to see Bucky and Steve sat in the middle of a pile of brand new toys, a trike off to the corner and a three quarter sized rocking horse blocking the doorway to the kitchen;

"What's going on?"

"Mamma!"Mickey cried out as he jumped off the couch and landed in a pile on the floor

"OH MY GOD! ARE YOU OK?"

Bucky had thrown himself across the room to try and catch him in time, cradling him in his arms as he frantically checked the little boys limbs. Emily bent down and scooped her son out of Bucky's arms and gave him a kiss on the forehead before setting him back on his feet. They watched as he ran across the room and started to play with the trike;

"He's fine... he's incredibly resiliant for a toddler"

Bucky sat on the floor watching as Emily attempted to move the rocking horse before she looked to him and Steve;

"Are you going to just watch me struggle or can we move this so i can get coffee?"

Once the wooden horse was moved into Steve's bedroom - the only place that had space for it - and they were all sat at the kitchen table Bucky finally spoke;

"Emily..."

"Yeah?"

"What is Mickey like? I mean his physilogical make up. Does he get sick? Is he the same as other kids?"

Emily looked at the little person that sat between them currently shovelling yogurt into his mouth;

"Now i think about it he's never been sick"

"Never?"

"Uh-huh. He's had all his immunisations, i just put it down to that. And he occasionally bumps himself on the furniture but his bruises fade away after a day at most"

Bucky and Steve exchanged glances before he spoke;

"And... umm... did it take long to err... in the lab..."

"To conceive?"

Bucky nodded.

"All ten eggs fertilised on the very first attempt"

"TEN EGGS? What happens to the other nine?"

"They stay in cryo stasis for the future... i case we wanted any more kids. And you never told me why our lounge looks like a toy store?”

Bucky shrugged;

“I went shopping... i guess i missed out on almost two years of my son's life, its time to make up for it”

Emily started to set out the things for breakfast, making the presumption that Bucky would be joining them set a place for him. Once she'd made eggs, bacon, and toast, she served up for everyone, setting plates in front Mickey and Bucky before turning back to get plates for Steve and herself. As she turned to the table she stopped, seeing Mickey and Bucky sitting next to each other and without knowing it mimicking each others movements and mannerisms. She watched as they both chewed on the same side of their mouths, watching Mickey use his left hand to hold the fork, but noticing Bucky using his – flesh – right hand rather awkwardly. Setting the plates on the table she started to eat before speaking;

“Bucky....”

“Yeah?”

“This is going to sound silly...” he looked up as she paused; “Have you err... always been right handed?”

He smiled as he set his fork down, holding up his left – metal – hand;

“No, i was left handed as a kid... when they did this i had to learn to do all the simple things with my right hand... its why my handwriting is so shit”

Emily smiled as he looked from her to Mickey and noticed the child using his left hand to eat, a lump of egg getting caught in his throat and causing him to cough. She passed Bucky a mug of coffee as Steve joined them, slapping his friend on the back;

“You ok there Buck?” Steve laughed

“Yeah... thanks for that...”

“Come on, eat up man; we've got training this morning”

“Can't we skip it? Take a personal day... i've literally just found out i'm a father”

“If you want to sit around the apartment on your own, sure. But Mickey will be going to daycare like usual” 

Emily answered, chewing as she watched Bucky's reaction. He made her nervous, the sudden enthusiasm to be part of their lives, and she wondered if it had been the same if he hadn't of lived next door to the result of his sperm donation or recognised the child in the photograph. As she watched him he helped Mickey reach for his beaker, letting him drink from it before grabbing a napkin and gently wiping his chin. Emily glanced at Steve who was sitting opposite her and he had the same expression on his face, one of uncertainty.

~*~

Emily and Mickey had waved the two guys off as Steve drove himself and Bucky to the out of town training facility, Bucky leaning out of the window to wave until they had turned the corner and were out of sight. She looked down at her son as he sat happily in his stroller bundled up against the cold winter weather, his pale blue eyes sparkling in the pale daylight, his cheeks rosy from the sharp wind.

“Come on kiddo, lets get to Mommy's work and you to daycare”

“Da-da-da-da-da”

“I sure hope you're trying to say daycare than daddy... we still need to sort that whole thing out”

Emily commented just as the bus arrived, her mind now on the more complicated situation her letter had caused. 24 hours ago she had been considering what her life would be like if she actually found someone... and if that someone had already found her. Now with the added dynamic of her son's biological father living next door it seemed to cause more emotional turbulence than she'd ever anticipated.

~*~

Emily waited in line at the cafeteria, her mind not at all on what she was going to eat for lunch. Her train of thought shifted from Steve, Bucky, then settling on Mickey. It was her son's first full day – well, 6 hours – in daycare, and it meant his first ever meal without her. She was wondering how he was getting on, what he would be having, whether he would enjoy it. A gentle tap on her shoulder sprung Emily out of her trance, smiling when she saw Sharon;

“Hey! How are you doing? You on full days now?”

Emily shook her head;

“Extended part time. Nine until three” she glanced up at the menu's above the counter; “Any recommendations?”

“Stay away from the chicken”

They made their choices and paid for their meals, Sharon nodding to a table of women sitting in the corner by the window;

“Come on, i've got someone that you'll want to see... and a couple of new faces i think you should meet”

Fifteen minutes later Emily had hugged her friend Lillian from accounting, another friendship that had suffered after the fall of the Triskelion, plus had been introduced to two senior agents, Romanov and Maximoff; Nat and Wanda being the two women she'd briefly met at the Avengers training facility when she'd had her job interview. Soon their lunch hour had passed and as they made their way back to their respective departments it was agreed they should have a girls night out soon, the date resting on Emily's shoulders due to the only one being dependant on getting a babysitter.

“Its fine, i'll see if Steve will do it”

“Steve?” Sharon asked

Emily felt the colour rush to her cheeks, realising she'd just let slip something she hadn't yet shared with her old friend;

“Yeah... Steve is my roommate”

“Just roommate?”

Thankfully before Emily had to answer someone from her department passed her in the hall, telling her that she had clients waiting for measurement fittings back in her office. Saying goodbye to Sharon she promised she would let her know when she would be free, Sharon yelling after her that she wanted more details before turning and returning to her desk.

~*~

When Emily collected Mickey from daycare that afternoon he happily ran over to her, his face dirty from chocolate and paint, but he was grinning his lopsided grin that she immediately recognised as the same as Bucky's;

“You ready to go home now kiddo?”

“Da-da-da-da-da”

One of the helpers appeared with his jacket and little backpack;

“Its so cute that he's trying to say Daddy”

Emily didn't have the energy to explain her rather complicated situation to her, instead thanking her for her work and making her way out of the building with Mickey

~*~

Pushing the stroller along the hallway towards her apartment she saw something propped against the door that made her stop. Swallowing nervously she continued until she was standing next to it, gently picking it up; a huge bunch of roses and a helium balloon tied to them. The card attached was addressed to her, but rather than open it in the hallway she settled the bouqet onto the stroller and let herself and Mickey into the apartment.

Letting him out she watched as he ran to play with his Lego's as she pulled the small card from the envelope, nervously opening it;

'To Emily, Love Bucky'

Her heart dropped. This is what she had feared would happen; that Bucky would want to be more than just part of Mickey's life. As if on cue she heard the sound of a key in the door, turning to see Steve walking in looking tired, Bucky close on his heels;

“Hey, there's my little guy!” Bucky cried out as he rushed over to Mickey.

Emily looked up to Steve and the look of weariness on his face matched her own, the edge of concern still haunting his gaze as he saw her nod her head to the kitchen. Leaving Bucky to entertain Mickey he stood next to her;

“You ok?” he saw the flowers on the table and frowned; “Are they from...?”

Emily nodded, handing him the card and watching as he held it in his hands, noticing the very slight shake as he read it;

“If this is something you want...”

Emily shook her head;

“No...and i need to nip it in the bud now. But i think i should do it in private....i know you've only just got home, but could you take Mickey into my room and change his daiper?”

Steve nodded, turning just in time to see Bucky carrying Mickey into the kitchen;

“Hey little guy, lets change that daiper...” he took Mickey from Bucky's arms.

“Oh, i'll give you a hand, i should learn how to do it as his dad”

Emily reached out and grabbed Bucky's arm;

“Bucky, can i talk to you?”

They watched as Steve walked away and shut the door, Bucky turning to her and turning on his full charm mode;

“So doll, i see you got the flowers...” 

He went to step close to her, his hands moving towards her hips until she reached out and pressed her hands to his chest;

“Please... stop. Sit down, we need to talk...”

He plonked himself down on one of the kitchen chairs, lounging back with a smirk on his face as he sat there with his knees wide apart and a smirk on his face;

“Sure... we can talk”

Emily took a deep breath;

“Bucky...”

“Yeah doll?”

“Will you just let me speak without interrupting?”

He sat up straight, starting to realise that this was not going how he thought it was going to. He nodded and let Emily speak;

“I can see what you are doing. But i'm going to come out straight with you from the very start; I have no inclination in starting a romantic relationship with you”

Emily watched as the man before her seemed to break in two at her words, and she felt terrible for coming straight out with that. When he finally spoke he wouldn't make eye contact with her;

“I'm sorry... i didn't realise you didn't want me in yours and Mickey's lives”

“I never said that”

“Huh?”he looked up at her, his face full of hope; “But what...?”

“When i sent that letter I never meant it to be an open invitation to become a father and a husband. It was a thank you letter for making _me_ complete” she paused; “However, fate has put us together, and if you want to be part of Mickey's life then you can be. But you need to respect my views and values as his parent”

“So i can still see him?”

“If that's what you want”

“Of course! Oh man, yes!” 

Bucky jumped up and hugged her, his metal arm whirring as he squeezed her tight;

“Okay... need to breathe here... not a super enhanced super soldier...”

He quickly let go of her, appologising as he did so. Just at that moment Steve reappeared with Mickey, setting him down on the floor only for he and Bucky to run back to the lounge, Bucky glancing once over his shoulder and mouthing a 'thank you' to Emily.

“How did it go?” Steve asked quietly as he started to get things for dinner out of the fridge.

“Better than i exected” 

Emily watched as Mickey and his biological father constructed buildings out of the bright coloured blocks, relieved that what could have turned into a incredibly volatile situation had been quelled. Turning back to Steve she started to help him chop veggies, chatting about their day;

“Hey, first full day today, everything go ok?”

“Yeah, ran into a couple of old colleagues from the Triskelion that have tranferred to Stark employment. Oh and i met two agents from the training Facility; Natasha and Wanda”

Emily then remembered about the suggested girls night out;

“Steve?”

“Uh-huh...” his concentration was on the stove, making sure that he didn't burn the spices that Emily had shown him how to use

“Any chance you could babysit for an hour or so one evening? I've been invited to a girls night out”

He stood up and smiled at her;

“Of course”

~*~

That friday Emily had watched as Steve and Bucky collected Mickey from daycare, giving her little man a kiss on his forehead before she watched the two men in their lives wheel him out of the building in his stroller, nervous about letting him go but taking a deep breath, knowing that it would have to happen eventually.

Her nerves were further calmed when two hours later she was sat at a table in a bar with Sharon, Lillian, Natasha, and Wanda, sipping on cocktails for the first time in over three years;

“Soooo.....” Sharon cooed at her; “What's this 'living with Steve' thing all about?”

The group went quiet as they all looked to Emily;

“He was the guy that saved me. I was at rock bottom and he found me and Mickey at just the right time. He had a spare room that me and Mickey could stay in until we get back on our feet, but its nice having him around... and i think he likes having us around”

Sharon smiled kindly at her, just as Lillian nudged her in the ribs;

“Wasn't like that when you dated him, hey Shaz...”

Emily paused;

“You and Steve dated?”

Sharon nodded;

“Yeah for a while.... but it didn't work out. But we've both moved on and remain friends. There was just too much history that got in the way...”

Lillian coughed as she almost choked on her drink;

“Or could be that he called out your aunts name as he came...”

Emily – along with Natasha and Wanda – practically snorted their drinks out through their noses at Lillians slip, Sharon turning beetroot red;

“Lil!”

“Hey, at least you got a chance, he turned me down flat”

As an awkward silence spread over the table Wanda's heavily accented voice broke the silence;

“Nat, didn't do that to you did he?”

Natasha calmly sipped her whiskey before she replied;

“No, it was just a one time thing, when we were on the run a couple of years back....” she took a couple more sips; “Plus i boinked his best pal a few years back so it woulda been kinda awkward if we ever got to that...”

“Bucky?” Emily asked

All eyes moved from her to Natasha and back again before Nat finally answered;

“Yeah, i thought i'd keep that one quiet... how do you know Sgt Barnes?” she said with a smirk

“He's Steve's next door neighbour.... and asked me out earlier this week”

“And.... what did you say?” Wanda pressed

“I said no. He just doesn't do it for me...”

The next round of drinks arrived at that point and the conversation thankfully changed, albeit only slightly; onto whether their server was straight or not as they watched his denim clad tight buttocks walk away. After two more rounds Emily decided to call it a night, she and Lillian sharing a cab back to Brooklyn as they only lived a couple of blocks apart, the last they saw of Nat, Wanda, and Sharon was the three of them leaning on the bar chatting to the sexy barman that had made their drinks.

~*~

Throughout most of the weekend Emily silently regretted just how much she'd drunk, her headache only clearing mid Sunday afternoon when Bucky had finally left them alone, Mickey settling down for a nap as Steve brought her a cup of tea as she sat slumped on the couch;

“Hey.... how you doing?”

“Ok... thanks”

“Are you going to be ok for tomorrow?”

“Huh? Tomorrow?”

“My suit fitting?”

“Oh... yeah, that. Yes, all set. I'm looking forward to fitting you properly”

Steve smirked at her answer, earning himself a elbow in the ribs that he feigned pain for, when in reality it was nothing. Instead he wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they settled down to watch the afternoon movie, letting her fall asleep on his shoulder until it was time for dinner.

~*~

It was 1pm and Emily started to notice an influx of staff in the department, people appearing to ask mundane questions, loitering around as she prepared for Steve's fitting in her office. There was a gentle tap on the door and she saw Steve standing in a robe at her office door. Waving him in she absentmindedly started to pull together the things she needed for the fitting, her tape measure and notes about the various buckles and zippers, the movements she needed to get him to do so to measure the stretch of his muscles when in combat. It was then that it hit her, why there was the sudden influx of staff; he would be stripping to his underwear. With a smirk she closed the door before pulling on the blinds, shutting out the oggling crowd to a chorus of disappointed groans.

“Thanks” Steve said meekly

“What for?”

“Usually they leave the blinds open... makes me feel like a circus animal. I'm already enough of a freak without having an audience leering at me”

Emily swallowed nervously, holding her tape measure as she spoke quietly;

“If you could take your robe off and stand on the measuring platform” 

She watched as he disrobed, hoping the squeal she heard in her brain stayed there. She'd never seen anyone as gorgeous as Steve before. Yes he was an incredibly handsome man, and from being snuggled next to him on their couch she could tell he would be pretty well built, but standing in front of her in just a pair of tight white boxer briefs she could actually feel her mouth watering. Taking a deep breath she started, methodically working through the measurements she needed, using her step stool to reach his shoulders and chest before working her way down.

It got to the point where she was on her knees in front of him, keeping her eyes low – going no higher than his lower thighs – as she knew what was coming next; his inside leg measurement. Taking a deep breath she reached up, pressing her hand to the inside of his thigh where it met his hip and she knew damn well what her knuckles were pressing against. Working quickly she noted down the measurement before having to take the unusual step of measuring the other side;

“Sorry Steve, i need to do your other leg now”

She heard him swallow nervously, he knew that his suits needed to have the full set of measurements, but as she lifted her hand up his other leg they both felt him twitch against her knuckles as she touched him again;

“Shiiiiiit.... i'm sorry Emily”

She cleared her throat, nervously chewing on her lip as to supress the smile that was threatening to creep across her face;

“Its ok... SHIT.... Sorry, i dropped the tape measure...i've got to do it again”

She actually heard him gulp, this time as she pressed her fingers against him she felt he was growing hard. Working quickly she knew she had to do measure the circumference of his thighs, reaching her arm between his legs to take the measure just as he shifted his feet, and that's when it nudged against her head.

She couldn't help it, she fell back and landed on her butt, covering her face with her hands as she fell into a fit of giggles;

“I'm so sorry Steve”

He was kneeling down next to her, his face crimson as he blushed at the thought of what had pushed her over;

“No, its my fault Emily... i'm so sorry.... jeez, this is so unprofessional of me...” 

She finally glanced up and saw his weak smile;

“Lets just try and finish this...”

He stood nervously again, cupping himself as she measured the rest of his legs, finally telling him that she was done and he could put the robe back on.

Turning her back she noted the measurements down, only turning when she felt the heat from Steve's body next to her;

“I'm sorry Emily... god... i should have at least bought you dinner first....” he joked. Emily bit her lip, waiting, hoping, before he finally continued; “Can i?”

“Buy me dinner?”

He nodded;

“Yeah...”

“I'd like that”

“Great! It's a date!”

~*~

Somehow Steve had arranged everything for her incredibly quickly. Perhaps it was the tension in the air whenever they were at home together, perhaps it was the fact that Bucky had been more than willing to babysit Mickey having been given a crash course in daiper changes. Either way Emily found herself holding Steve's arm as he walked her through Central Park, their meal at a classic meditereanean restaurant hidden down one of the side streets close to Stark Tower being one that she would remember forever. Steve had picked the place, knowing the owners and able to secure a booking at short notice. When soft music had played after their meal they'd joined other diners on a small dancefloor, swaying in time to the music until they'd realised the time and called it a night.

They watched as the ice forming on the lake in the park started to form on the water, bundled up in their warm winter coats they felt the first few snowflakes start to fall, resting on their eyelashes as Steve turned Emily. Resting his hands on her hips he ducked his head down as she closed her eyes, the anticipation of his touch almost burning her up until his lips pressed against hers. His touch was magic, his lips soft as they caressed her own. His hands held her close but not crossing any lines until she snaked her hands around his shoulders and pulled him close, their bodies flush together as he wraped own arms around her waist and held her.

Finally they broke apart, their lips wet as they grinned at each other;

“We should really be getting back”

The bell of a nearby clock tower started to chime out for the late hour, making Emily realise just how late it was;

“We need to check Bucky has put Mickey to bed”

They made their way across the park, hailing a cab to get them home.

~*~

They laughed as Steve kissed her in the elevator, Emily joking that it would be the last chance for a few more days. As the doors opened and they stepped out, Steve noticed first. Emily felt him go rigid next to her, looking up and following his gaze to their apartment door; it was wide open, the apartment dark inside.... and silent.

They sprinted along the hallway, Emily throwing herself into the room as Steve followed close behind;

“MICKEY! BUCKY!”

They flicked the lights on and found the apartment abandonded, frantically checking the rooms and finding them all empty;

“I'll check Bucky's apartment”

Steve ran out of the door, fumbling with his keys before he let himself in, calling out for them before appearing at the doorway to their apartment moments later. Emily stared at him, the blood draining from her face as he shook his head and pulled his phone from his pocket;

“They're gone”

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things settle down in both Emily’s work and private life, Steve gets a bit of a surprise from the past, and it triggers him to make a move in the present.

Taking In Strays – Chapter 6

Emily stood in Steve's apartment shaking, her worst fears coming true as the one person they'd trusted to look after her son was no-where to be found. Her whole life had gone; Mickey had been the only thing that had kept her going through the hardest of times.

She was vaguely aware of Steve checking all the rooms one last time as he tried to call Bucky's cell phone, and it was then that Emily heard a quiet noise coming from the kitchen table. Moving a magazine she found his phone, Steve's number coming up on screen as she picked it up and called out;

“Steve”

He stopped pacing and turned to her, dropping his phone from his ear as she saw his body slump;

“Shit. I'm calling the cops”

There was no doubt in his voice. For as much as Bucky meant to him, his best friend was now missing with his girlfriend’s child. He kept his voice calm as he spoke to the operator, and once he'd hung up they heard sirens within five minutes of his call. Moments later there was a knock on the open apartment door, two uniformed officers standing in the doorway, another two waiting in the hall.

Steve did most of the talking; Emily stared into space, unable to fathom what had happened. She confirmed her name and Mickey's details, watching as Steve frantically rummaged through the paperwork that had been stacked on a shelf to find the day-care photographs of Mickey to give to the officers. Just as he was handing the photograph over they heard a loud bang of the fire door at the end of the hallway slam closed, a child laughing and an adult singing nursery rhymes. That all stopped within seconds as the sounds of the cops in the hallway pulling their firearms and shouting out;

“SIR! PUT THE CHILD DOWN!”

Emily and Steve ran to the doorway, only to see Bucky standing bolt upright as Mickey sat on his shoulders, both of them bundled up against the cold and a light dusting of snow now starting to melt on their woolly hats and the shoulders of their jackets;

“What's going on?”

“SIR! PLEASE, LET THE CHILD GO...”

“Huh? We just went to the roof to see the snow...”

Emily wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry as a wave of relief flooded through her. She and Steve convinced the cops to lower their guns as Emily stepped past them and took Mickey down from Bucky's shoulders, holding him tight as she finally burst out into a flood of tears, kissing his cold and rosy cheeks as he wriggled in her arms;

“Mamma!”

Through the next hour Steve managed to diffuse the situation, getting the cops to drop the charges against Bucky, assuring them it was just a misunderstanding. Bucky had explained that he'd wanted to show Mickey the snow as it fell, deciding to quickly go to the roof rather than down to the street. Steve hadn't given him a key for the apartment so he'd left the door on the latch; pulled to as not to look like it was open. Thankfully for him the cops were big Avengers fans, and Steve agreeing to give them a tour of Stark tower in the future got them onto his side, thanking him as they left.

Bucky watched as Emily busied herself around Mickey who was now in his pyjama's, drinking sleepily from a bottle as he snuggled up on the couch.

“Buck... what the hell were you thinking?”

“I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to cause any issues...”

“You could at least have left a note”

“I thought you guys were going to be ages yet... perhaps even get a motel room somewhere. I thought things were getting pretty heavy between the two of you from the way you've been flirting with each other...”

Steve glared at him;

“Yeah well I think you managed to pretty much kill the mood on _that_ ”

~*~

Bucky kept his distance over the following week, catching a ride into the training facility with Steve but keeping out of Emily and Mickey's way most of he time, eating at his own place, even cooking for himself. One evening Emily arrived back at their apartment building just as Steve was pulling his SUV up to the kerbside parking, finally smiling at the two men as they stepped out. She could see the relief on Bucky's face when for the first time in a week she wasn't glaring daggers at him;

“Hey Ems...” he bent down and smiled at Mickey; “How’s it going little man?”

His greeting was met with a joyous squeal that made him smile;

“I'm just going to the store to get a few things, do you guys need anything?”

Emily looked at Steve to check, not sure what they needed, but he answered for her;

“No, we're good, thanks Buck”

They watched as Bucky quickly made his way along the block, Emily finally speaking;

“I guess we could invite him over for dinner at some point... try and get things back to normal again”

Steve wrapped his arm around her shoulders to give her a quick kiss before he took the handles of the stroller and pushed Mickey into the building;

“No tonight though, he said he's got something planned”

Emily groaned, her mind going back to just what her first interaction with Bucky was;

“Urgh... well I hope his date is at least a little quieter than the last one”

As they stepped inside the Building Manager called out from his office;

“Mr Rogers?”

Steve stopped and turned;

“Hey there Sir”

“You have a guest waiting for you”

He nodded towards a man sitting in the corner, partially hidden from view by a large potted plant. Intrigued Steve stepped towards him, Emily craning her neck to see and the air being sucked from her lungs when she saw the visitor. The young man got to his feet and nervously wiped him palms on his jeans;

“Err... hello, Captain...” he raked his hands through his close cropped hair, nervously looking at Steve before his eyes went wide as he saw Emily and Mickey; “Umm... this is going to make me sound nuts...”

Steve cleared his throat;

“It’s ok Son, what is it?”

The young man smiled shyly;

“Its funny you should say that... I'm Johnny Storm... I think you're my grandfather”

~*~

Steve woke up on his couch, a cool washcloth being pressed to his forehead as Emily sat on the edge of the seat, a worried look on her face;

“You ok?”

He nodded and looked across the room to where his surprise visitor stood chewing on his thumbnail;

“Yeah... Oh god this is embarrassing”

He sat up straight as Emily shifted, clearing his throat as he motioned for Johnny to take a seat opposite him;

“Thank you Sir”

Steve held his hand up;

“There's no need for that Sir business... now, I guess you'd better start talking...”

Emily sat quietly on the rug playing with Mickey as the young man started to explain why he was there, pulling a folder out from his jacket pocket and opening it, passing a couple of photographs to Steve as he explained that his grandmother had recently passed away, leaving behind a small folio that detailed one of the family secrets that she'd never spoken about; who the father of her wartime child was. Well, it turned out she was a chorus girl that was part of the Bond Drive across the country, and one lonely night her and a gentleman by the name of Steve got friendly backstage... the rest was history and two generations later the living proof of Steve's lonely one night stand was standing in front of him, and looking at the similarities in their features there was absolutely no way he could deny it.

Johnny stood and thanked Steve for his time, explaining that a mutual friend had commented on the resemblance between him and Steve;

“Mutual friend?”

“Lillian... she works for Tony Stark, something in finance I think?”

~*~

The following day both Emily and Steve were thankful neither had to be into work early, neither having slept particularly well, a lot on their minds due to the increasingly complicated family dynamics that seemed to be happening to their once peaceful trio.

As she waited for the coffee machine to drip through it seemed the most natural thing to wrap her arms around Steve's waist and rest her head on his chest as he waited for the toaster to pop.

“Its going to be a while before we get another date, isn't it?” he asked rhetorically

Emily sighed, gathering her thoughts;

“I know Bucky is trying but I’m not comfortable leaving Mickey with him again just yet...” she leant back and looked up at him; “Perhaps we could just have a nice meal at home? Make sure we take Mickey out and tire him out so he goes to sleep early? Watch a movie together... but it'd have to be a quiet one in case he cries...”

Steve looked hopeful;

“How about tonight? I don't have anything I actually need to go into the training facility for today so could take Mickey to the park and the market to get something for nice for dinner?”

“I'd like that”

Steve bent his neck and kissed her lightly, the sound of Mickey giggling as he watched them from the kitchen table making their lips curl against each others. The sound of a quiet knock at the door had them finally breaking apart, Emily walking to the door. Surprised to see Bucky standing there she opened the door wide and let him in;

“Morning Bucky”

“Hey Ems... I hope you don't mind; I made something for Mickey”

“You made something?”

He nodded as he held a small cookie tin out in front of her, gently pushing it into her hands;

“They're for Mickey”

At the sound of his name Mickey started to climb off of the chair, grinning as he still chewed on his breakfast, yelling out;

“Buh!”

Bucky's smile could literally have lit the Stark tower it was so bright;

“He said my name!”

As Bucky helped Mickey onto the chair she pulled open the tin and let out a little gasp at what she saw inside; three cookies that had been iced to look like fire trucks, pretzel sticks for the ladders, mini Oreo’s for the wheels. She let out a little gasp and looked at Steve, her eyes watering with happiness as he looked inside too and grinned at his friend;

“You made these?”

Bucky nodded, a blush rising to his cheeks;

“Yeah, you remember when I took him to the roof.... oh, anyway, yeah... so he saw a fire truck go past and got all excited. I figured after then I should do something nice for him”

Emily set the tin carefully on the back of the counter out of Mickey's reach;

“I never would have put you down as a cookie maker...”

“Well... the recipe made about 40... Those were the only ones that came out in any way ok”

She ruffled his hair as he took a seat next to Mickey;

“You did good Buck... thank you. You staying for breakfast?”

He fidgeted in his seat, looking expectantly between Emily and Steve;

“If that's ok... I know I messed up that time...”

“Its fine Buck...” Steve assured him.

After they'd had breakfast Emily got ready for work, kissing Mickey and Steve goodbye, Bucky getting a smile as she waved from the doorway, a kick in her step as she was already thinking about 'date night' at home with Steve that evening.

~*~

By the time Emily finally pushed her way through the apartment door that evening she was exhausted. Orders for supplies at work had been delayed, her lunch had been delayed due to an over-running meeting, and even her bus home had been delayed. So as she pushed her way into the apartment and the delicious smell of dinner hit her senses she let out a sigh of relief that she didn't have to do anything that evening. At the sound of her bag hitting the floor Steve poked his head around the corner of the kitchen and smiled at her;

“Hey, Mamma's home”

Mickey came running to meet her, his face covered in spaghetti sauce as he ran to her. She scooped him up into her arms and kissed him, setting him back down onto his chair as she raised herself onto her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to Steve's cheek;

“Did you boys have a good day?”

Steve nodded, setting the dishes aside he'd be scrubbing in the sink;

“We did, didn't we?” he asked Mickey who grinned at him through a mouthful of spaghetti as he continued; “We went to Target and got some things for Mickey, we went food shopping, we even got Mommy a bottle of wine”

“What did you get in Target?”

“You'll see” Steve pressed a kiss to her forehead; “I've run you a bath, Nat texted me to say you'd not been having a good day and she updated me when you left work. I heard about the delays on the radio traffic report so I ran it really hot about ten minutes ago, it should be just right by now”

As much as she wanted to protest, to help with dinnertime for Mickey, the sound of a warm bath was more attractive than getting covered in tomato sauce. When she stepped into her room she let out a little gasp of joy, spotting the little fire truck bed that sat in the corner of the room, the furniture having been moved around slightly to make space for it. She'd desperately wanted to get Mickey into his own bed, but hadn't had the time or energy to look into even researching a toddler bed. Looking to her own bed a gift wrapped box sat on the covers, drawing her attention to it. Picking up the card she smiled as she saw Steve's neat handwriting on it;

'I didn't know your size so I had to guess... one of the store assistants recommended this as it was adjustable'

Pulling on the ribbons that held the box together she saw a beautiful patterned dress, lifting it out of the tissue she saw it was the kind that wrapped around, ties that skirted the waist that allowed for it to adjust to differing sizes. Setting it down she decided to get into the bath, hoping that her evening with Steve would be ending a little better than the last time they had a date.

Fifteen minutes later she'd dried off and stood in front of her dresser, looking through her underwear drawer and letting out a low groan of disappointment when she realised that all she owned was 'Mommy' undies. As she toyed briefly with the idea of going without before dismissing it as quickly as it had entered her mind, she saw the box of cast off's that Bucky had given her before her interview all those weeks ago. Sure, she would be wearing second hand underwear, but it had all been laundered, and if it worked for those girls, then it should work for her. It wasn't like she had any other options, and as she looked at the expensive labels on the little lacy garments she knew she'd never bring herself to spend so much money on herself.

As she stepped barefoot out of her bedroom she was greeted by the sight of her son streaking across the lounge towards her, completely naked;

“What happened?!” she asked as she laughed, catching him as he wriggled in her arms.

“He got a bit messy. I didn't want to disturb you so I tried to get him changed into his pyjama's in the kitchen after I’d washed his face... but as my back was turned he ripped his diaper off and that's when you appeared...”

Taking her son's hand she walked him back into their room, changing him quickly as Steve stood at the door, leaning on the doorpost;

“You look amazing”

Emily turned and smiled at him as she helped Mickey get his top on, glancing at the fire truck bed;

“Thank you for getting that...”

“He saw it and kept yelling... I thought even if it didn't work out he'd use it eventually. And there's a baby monitor up there” he pointed to a small light on top of the bookcase; “That's kinda more for us than him...”

~*~

Mickey fell asleep fairly quickly, Steve carrying him into his new bed as Emily served up an amazing smelling Lasagne that Steve had made. As he returned to the table, setting the video unit of the baby monitor onto the table with a smile on his face.

They ate dinner quickly, keeping their conversation light, both seemed more nervous than their first date, this time having the more obvious connotations that they may not be sleeping alone for the first time in a very long time. Once finished Emily started to clear the plates away, Steve disappearing momentarily before returning with a smile on his face. Topping up their wine glasses he passed Emily hers, taking her hand and leading her to his bedroom.

Standing at the doorway Emily let out a quiet gasp; Steve had lit candles and smooth music was gently playing quietly from a docking station on his bedside cabinet;

“Oh Steve...”

He stood in front of her and smiled;

“Look, I only moved us in here so that we didn't have to whisper in the lounge... just because of where we are now doesn't mean we have to.... you know...” he cleared his throat nervously; “Would you like to dance?”

“I'd love to”

They set their glasses onto his desk before Steve took Emily into his arms, their bodies gravitating together as they swayed in time to the music. Soon hands started to drift and bodies drew closer, lips caressing lips and the dancing was abandoned. They'd edged their way towards Steve's bed, the back of Steve's knees hitting the mattress as he sat down, pulling Emily down with him but surprised when she straddled his legs, running her hands through the soft hair at the back of his neck as they kissed again.

This time it was more heated, a desperation to her efforts as Steve let his hands rest on her hips as he fell slowly backwards, taking her with him as they lay on the bed. He boldly ran his hand up her side, pausing near her breast until she shifted and made sure he was cupping her, her quiet moan shooting straight to his stomach as he felt his muscles tighten at the sounds she was making.

Breaking apart for air she spoke breathlessly;

“I'm sorry... it’s just been a really long time for me...”

“I can only imagine... it’s time to make up for lost time...but no need to rush, we have all night”

Steve set her down onto the soft quilt that covered his bed, leaning over her but careful not to crush her, his fingers gently pulling at the ties of her dress as he kissed down her neck, taking his time to cover every spot of exposed flesh as he worked her dress loose. He felt her fingers working on the buttons of his shirt, and as they were both able to expose the other's body twin gasps of appreciation escaped their lips. Although Emily had seen Steve in even less when she'd measured him for his suit at work, she hadn't been this near, so close she could feel his body heat against hers, close enough to lean forwards and run the tip of her tongue over his chest, the hairs tickling her nose as she teased his nipple.

His hand started to dance around the lace of her panties, tracing it over her hip and down to the apex of her thighs, feeling her shift slightly to allow his hand between her legs, to slip beneath the soft fabric and dance over her heated core, finding her wet already;

“Steve...”

She sighed, unable to actually string any more words into a sentence as he started to gently stroke her, his lips creating beautiful patterns over her neck as he sought out that sensitive bundle of nerves, teasing it gently before he moved his hand and slid one finger into her heated core. She groaned at his touch, it was the first time she'd been touched like that in well over two years, Brock hadn't wanted to even sleep in the same room as her since she'd conceived, so when Steve rocked his hand against her she soon found herself rapidly heading towards her peak;

“Steve... please...”

“What would you like Emily? Do you want to come?”

“I want you inside me... please...make love to me...”

He chuckled quietly;

“We'll get to that...”

“Please...” She begged

“Honey, I need to get you ready for me... you're too tight for me at the moment”

Steve grinned as he let his words sink in, feeling Emily's hand slide down between them and cup him through his pants, watching her eyes go wide as she felt how big he was;

“Oh...”

“Please... Just lay back and relax...”

She did as he asked, wrapping her hand around the back of his neck to pull him down to kiss her, widening her legs as she felt his thumb start to rub circles against her pearl, his finger inside her soon joined by a second that had her reaching her peak, having to clamp her own hand over her mouth to suppress her cries as she saw stars, writhing on the bed beneath Steve's ministrations.

As she came down from the high of her orgasm Emily laid back, a contented smile on her lips as she watched Steve withdraw his fingers from her and bring them to his lips. He tasted her, grinning with a sparkle in his eyes before he got off the bed and started to strip. This time there was no hesitation to being naked in front of her, carefully stripping himself of his clothing as she watched from the bed. When he came to his underwear he saw her bite her lip, her gaze fixed upon him with a look of pure lust in her eyes;

“Enjoying the show?” he joked

Emily could only nod, a very quiet groan escaping her lips as she watched Steve slowly pull his jersey boxers down his legs to reveal his fully naked form for her. As he reached a hand out for her she took it, letting him help her to her feet, standing in front of him.

His large hands worked with a sensitive dexterity, slowly peeling the layers of clothing from her body, taking care to appreciate each part of her body he exposed, covering her skin with light kisses until she was standing naked before him.

Emily found herself suddenly self conscious, wanting to cover her body with her hands until Steve caught her wrists lightly in his palms;

“You don't need to do that”

“But... my scars... and I’m saggy from having Mickey...”

Steve dropped to his knees in front of her, pressing kisses to her belly before he held her hips and looked up at her;

“This... this brought a beautiful human being into the world” he lifted one of her hands in his and kissed her wrist; “These... these are history...  a past that you never need to return to”

Emily bit her lip as she felt tears well in her eyes, her hands moving to run her fingers through Steve's soft blond hair. As he knelt in front of her, his vivid blue-green eyes staring up at her she saw a smile tweak at the corners of his mouth, watching as he lowered his lips to her mound and pressed a kiss to it. He looked at her with a question in his eyes, relieved when he saw her nod briefly, taking it as permission to gently lift one leg over his shoulder as his tongue made contact with her soaked folds.

Steve worked quickly, one hand gripping her thigh as the other held her still at the small of her back. His tongue worked magic against her most sensitive of places, her orgasm creeping up quickly upon both of them, her fingers tightening against his scalp as she let out soft moans until she tensed above him and he felt a surge of her essence coat his chin.

Before Emily's legs gave out Steve was on his feet, scooping her up into his arms and laying her softly onto the bed, settling between her thighs as he kissed her, letting her taste herself on his tongue. His hands and lips moved to her naked breasts, taking a nipple into his mouth as he gently twisted the other between his thumb and forefinger. All the while Steve found his hips involuntarily rocking against Emily's, his length sliding between her folds, coating himself until she wrapped her legs around his waist;

“Please Steve...”

He reached between them, positioning himself before slowly entering her, feeling the tight stretch of her silken channel as he crested her entrance. He worked slowly, easing his way in a little at a time, knowing it had been a very long time since she'd felt such intimacy. All the while he peppered her face and neck with kisses, giving her quiet assurances of how good she made him feel, how good he would make her feel.

When Emily started to move beneath Steve he propped himself up on his hands, gazing down at the point where their bodies were joined.

“I can't believe you are able to fit that inside me...” Emily whispered as she too watched; “I've never been with anyone so big before...”

Steve didn't know what to say, when the serum had changed his body it was the one thing that hadn't changed, that had remained the same as before the procedure, and it wasn't like he was ever in a situation where he could exactly compare himself to others... even in these open minded modern times, it wasn't exactly the done thing. Instead he just grinned at her, his hips starting to snap back and forth as he felt Emily's body relax enough for him to work a little harder, to drive her to the point of blinding pleasure as he felt her body quiver around him. As she started to cry out, her fingers digging into his arms and her back arched he could feel she was close, speeding up his efforts until they were coming together, their cries of pleasure muffled as he kissed Emily, silencing her moans until her body had milked him dry, his arms giving out as he lay on top of her.

Pressing kisses to her neck he basked in the waves of euphoria that surged through his body;

“Oh Emily...”

Meanwhile Emily let out a sigh of relief when she heard him say her name...

~*~

Emily had spent the night in Steve's bed, quietly checking on Mickey before she'd snuggled under the covers with him, falling asleep in his strong arms. When the first pale light woke them the following morning she found her body responding to his, their naked bodies pressed together as he pulled her flush to his chest, kissing her neck before speaking in a quiet whisper;

“So... umm... what time does Mickey normally wake?”

Emily glanced at the clock;

“We've probably got about fifteen minutes... let me just check”

She grabbed the baby monitor and pressed the video button, taking a few seconds to smile at the image of her sleeping child on the little screen;

“He's started to move... so we'll need to be quick...”

Even before she'd finished speaking she felt Steve's strong hand slide between her thighs from behind, stroking her sensitive lips until she was rocking her hips against his wrist.

“Get onto your knees and hold the bed frame”

Steve's request came out in a low whisper, his voice hoarse from lust. Emily did as he asked, widening her stance on the covers as she watched over her shoulder as he lined himself up with her, pushing in quicker than he had the night before, stretching her as she shuddered around him.

Their morning lovemaking was fast and needy, a reignited passion where they craved quick release before the reality of the day ahead of them took over, Emily reaching her peak first as Steve had to hold his hand over her mouth, pulling her upright until she was flush with his body as he too reached completion with a cry.

As they held each other, their chests heaving from the sudden exertion, the first sounds of Mickey waking could be heard over the baby monitor. Steve gently withdrew from Emily, pressing a kiss to her shoulders;

“I guess that's the end of our fun...”

On shaky limbs she crawled off the bed, quickly pulling on her panties and Steve's shirt from the previous day as she made her way to the door, calling over her shoulder;

“That's what it’s like to be a parent...”

She paused when she realised what she said, the smile on her lips matching Steve's as he made his way to the shower.

~*~

They were all working out of Stark Tower that day, Steve giving Emily and Mickey a ride, along with Bucky who had overslept, running into the hallway as he pulled his jacket on at the same time as chewing on a piece of toast. Due to his unexpected company Steve relegated him to the back seat, instead having Emily sit up front with him as he eased the SUV through the rainy morning traffic. As Emily sipped coffee from her staff issued Stark Industries travel mug she felt Steve gently hold her hand over the centre console, smiling at him from behind her cup.

“So you two finally fucked last night then, huh?”

Bucky said from the back seat, causing Emily to inhale her coffee in error, coughing and spluttering over the dash as both she and Steve turned to look at him;

“BUCKY! LANGUAGE!”

“Yeah... your Son is sitting next to you!” Emily scowled at him

As if on cue Mickey giggled, baring his teeth as he laughed;

“Fuah Fuah Fuah!”

Bucky smirked;

“Sorry... So you two had romantic liaisons last night then?”

He waggled his eyebrows at the pair of them as they turned their backs to him, trying to ignore him; however the grins on their faces told him that he was correct. By the time Steve pulled into the underground parking garage Bucky had vocally planned out their entire future, down to the number of kids they would have and how they would all call him 'Uncky Bucky'. As Emily helped Mickey out of his seat a familiar voice called out, turning to see Sam approach, and before they could even say hello Bucky had called out to him;

“Hey, guess who got her stars spangled last night?”

Thankfully Sam knew how to be slightly more diplomatic, instead smiling at a now crimson red Emily;

“Congratulations... I know it’s a big step for you” before turning to Steve; “You got your physical this morning?”

Steve nodded as they made their way to the elevator;

“Sure have. And you're seeing my girl for a uniform fitting”

“Sure am. Got clean undies on and everything” he winked at Emily who had to smile before he turned to Bucky; “Your appointment is right after me isn't it Tin Man?”

Bucky blinked a few times, his eyes going wide as the elevator doors opened;

“Wait, we were meant to wear underwear?” he asked with a confused look on his face.

Emily stepped out with Mickey on the day-care level, waving as the three men continued up to the ops room, hoping that she didn't get to see more of her boyfriend’s best friends that she actually wanted to.

~*~

By the time she'd measured both Sam and Bucky – who had thankfully been leant a pair of rather ugly swim shorts from someone's gym kit – lunch break had soon rolled around, Steve meeting her at her office as she worked on completing the last few notes after Bucky's fitting. Looking up she smiled;

“Come in and grab a seat, I won't be long...”

“No worries...”

Steve slunk into the soft chair that sat at the side of her office, stifling a yawn as he glanced at the pattern that sat on the table;

“Is this the new Winter Soldier suit?”

“Uh-huh... just need to figure out where to put the added protection...”

Her voice trailed off, her last word shooting straight to both of their brains as they realised that in their haste to make love the previous night neither had considered contraception;

Emily dropped what she was doing, quickly closing the door before turning back to Steve;

“Shit”

“Umm... I’m guessing the answer is no, but I don't suppose you're on the pill?”

Emily shook her head;

“I didn't have medical insurance for so long... plus I wasn't in a relationship and didn't see one happening in my near or distant future, I didn't worry about renewing my prescription”

Steve quickly stood, holding her arms gently;

“So what do we do?”

“It’s ok” she said calmly; “I just need to go to the pharmacy and get the morning after pill”

“What does it do? Will it hurt you?”

 Emily shook her head;

“No, it just releases a hormone into my body that means I won't release an egg this month”

“But what if you already have...?”

“Then the hormone will prevent the egg from attaching inside me... I’ll just have my period as usual”

He nodded, watching as she grabbed her purse, pulling one of the sample heavy duty raincoats out from her prototypes closet;

“I'll just run down to the drug store a couple of blocks away, could grab me a sandwich from the cafeteria?”

He kissed her quickly before nodding;

“Sure thing...”

~*~

When Emily reached the sidewalk she pulled the heavy hood over her head, ducking down against the driving winter rain as she quickly made her way along the street. Pressing the button for the crosswalk she saw the green light for the drug store down the block, hurrying along past the large puddles and splashes that the cars driving past were causing, pushing into the store, letting the door close behind her as the latch let the caught the bell above the frame.

Once she'd been through the usual health questions with the pharmacist and paid, she waited by the partially steamed up windows as they prepared her order, absent mindedly looking out through the rain splattered glass as the world bustled by. Something on the far side of the street caught her eye, a familiar shape waiting at the end of an alleyway. Pressing her nose to the glass she squinted to see a little more, realising that it was Bucky as he huddled into his jacket against the weather, looking around as if waiting for someone. Just at that moment the pharmacist called her name, and she quickly took her prescription and stuffed it into her jacket pocket, rushing to the door before standing outside under the soaked awning, pulling the hood of her jacket up around her face.

Where she stood she was partially obscured by a billboard on a bus stop, able to watch as Bucky spotted someone coming along the street, ducking into the alleyway as another figure bundled up against the weather followed him.

Intrigued as to what was happening Emily decided to cross the street, ducking behind a truck as it splashed through the partially flooded street, before she managed to get to the other side, quietly peering into the alleyway. She could see the silhouette of two men at the far end, and she crept closer until she could press herself into the slightly hidden doorway of what looked like a strip club she was able to see the other man pull a package from his pocket and hand it to Bucky;

“This is the same stuff as before”

“Yeah man... just like they used to give you”

Bucky peered into the bag before nodding, bundling it up and stuffing it into his jacket, pulling out a wad of cash and pushing it into the other man’s hand. Realising that their deal was about to be completed Emily turned in the doorway, making sure her jacket hood was fully over her head as she carefully read the staff wanted poster that was tacked to the faded wood, listening as she heard two sets of booted feet walk past back out onto the street.

Glancing out of the corner of her eye she saw Bucky walk off, yet the other man still stood on the street as he ducked into his jacket to light a cigarette, and that's when she recognised him; Jack Rollins; Brock's right hand man. And fellow Hydra double agent.

 

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Steve away on a mission Emily is left alone, having to work through what she’d seen Bucky do, not sure who she can tell. When she has to return to Stark Tower for something she finds herself being dragged into something that will change her life for the foreseeable future…

Taking In Strays – Chapter 7

Emily stared at the empty spot on the sidewalk that Collins had just left, unable to process what she’d just seen. Was Bucky Hydra still? What had Collins given him? The rain had started to soak up the leg of her pants, her feet starting to freeze where the cold water had seeped into her plain leather flats she wore for work. The sound of the door to the strip club opening brought her back to the present, knowing she needed to get back to Stark Tower and speak to Steve immediately.

Rushing through the busy streets, dodging around slow walkers and getting frustrated as she waited for crosswalk lights to change, she finally made it back to the tower, soaked and out of breath, and just in time to see Steve running across one of the walkways that crossed the large atrium reception area;

“Steve!” Emily called out, her voice echoing around the large space

He stopped and peered over the handrail, briefly watching as Sam and Wanda ran past him;

“There’s a mission, its urgent... here” he fished his car key out of his pocket and motioned to throw them down to Emily, watching as she stood below with her hands cupped in front of her, catching them as he dropped it the 30ft between them; “I can’t talk now... but I’ll keep you updated”

Emily nodded as she watched him give her one final glance before running a full speed into the building and towards the armoury, hoping that whatever he had been called away to do was nothing to do with what she had seen in the alleyway.

By the time she collected Mickey from day care later that afternoon the tower seemed quiet, presuming that most of the agents and operational staff were on whatever mission Steve had been called away for. Cradling her sleepy son in her arms as she rode the elevator down to the parking garage her mind was elsewhere as she fumbled for the Steve’s keys as she balanced a now sleeping Mickey with one arm.

“Here, let me help”

Emily squeaked, she hadn’t heard anyone approaching, turning around in fear only to see Bucky standing next to her with his hand outstretched. For a few moments she just stared at him, scared of what she had seen and what the connotations were, whether everything he had made out that he was, was in fact a lie.

“Ems? You ok? You look like you’re struggling there”

He reached around and plucked the keys from her finger, unlocking the car and opening the back door so that she could get Mickey into his seat. As she fastened the buckles she heard his voice close behind her;

“You want me to drive? It’s quite a storm out there tonight”

Emily turned, quietly closing the door before holding her hand out for the keys, using all of her energy to keep her voice calm;

“No, thank you”

“Ok, cool”

As she climbed into the driver’s seat she watched as he walked around the car, smiling at her as he climbed in next to her. Reversing out of the space, she slowly made her way up the ramp and waited for the ANPR camera’s to read the licence plate and raise the barrier, before finally pulling out onto the busy uptown traffic.

“You know its fine to be nervous”

Bucky’s voice made her jump again as she let out a little gasp;

“Umm... I’m not nervous, why would I be nervous?”

“Because your new boyfriend has been dragged off on a important mission?”

“Oh yes... right... that...” she took a deep breath, realising what Bucky was talking about; “Yes, sorry. I guess it’s just been a bit of a rollercoaster few weeks for me”

“I can imagine”

Bucky let his words hang in the air as Emily slowly moved the car through traffic and onwards to Steve’s apartment, having to park halfway around the block as everyone else had the same idea and had filled the spaces closest to the building’s entrance. Shrugging her coat off she pulled Mickey out of his car seat, covering him with her jacket as Bucky followed close behind, their heads ducked low from the rain.

The ride in the elevator was a quiet one, Emily still cradling Mickey in her arms as he started to come to after his nap, Bucky tapping out messages on his phone until the doors opened and he stepped aside to let Emily out first. When they reached their respective apartment doors Emily carefully let herself into Steve’s, Bucky standing at his door as he watched Emily silently close the door behind her, trying to figure out what was going on in her mind that had her so on edge.

~*~

Emily woke the next morning with a start. She’d slept fitfully, waking numerous times, scared when she felt for a warm body next to hers only to find the covers cool. Eventually she’d carefully lifted Mickey out of his toddler bed and into hers, letting his little warm body rest against hers as she finally fell asleep. When her alarm sounded quietly just a couple of hours later she groaned, annoyed that she’d forgotten to turn it off as Friday was her day off, yet more than anything she wanted to go into work just to get an update on Steve.

Instead she got up and quietly showered, letting Mickey sleep in her bed as she started to nervously tidy the apartment. By mid morning she was pacing the carpet, chewing on a hangnail as Mickey played with his toys when her phone beeped from across the room. Sprinting the few yards to get it she pressed the button, hoping it was Steve with an update, but only seeing an IM from Lillian;

>Hows it going? Any update from Steve?

<Nothing yet. Just kinda pacing the apartment getting anxious.

<I was never like this with Brock. Lol

She typed nervously, her mind returning back to how different Steve was from her ex husband.

>I’ve got this afternoon off if you wanted some company?

<I’d really like that. And I’m sure Mickey would love to see you too

>Send me the address, I’ll be with you after 2pm xxx

Now that she had something to look forward to - and keep her mind busy - Emily found that the rest of the morning flew by, and once she’d given Mickey his lunch and cleared up the aftermath of leftover lasagne she heard a quiet knock at the door. Glancing at the clock and seeing it was 2.15pm she ran to the door, checking the spy hole only to see Lillian’s familiar lip piercing as she made a comedy duck face inches from it.

Throwing the door open and greeting her friend with a hug they soon got talking, Lillian playing on the rug with Mickey as Emily was finally able to take a seat on the couch and enjoy a coffee whilst it was still hot.

“So you and Steve then...” Lillian waggled her eyebrows as she watched Emily blush crimson red; “Finally found a guy that does it for ya?”

“How do you...?”

“News travels fast in the tower...”

Emily set her mug down, the bottom dropping out of her stomach as she let her mind get away from her;

“So people think....?”

“Not people. A select few that were standing behind Sam as he quietly congratulated Steve on actually opening up to someone. And you’ll be pleased to know the only other two people that overheard were Sharon and Nat; both of whom give their blessing by the way”

Emily let out an unsteady breath;

“Wow... and that’s a pair of pretty intimidating ex’s to get approval from too”

“I thought you and Sharon were tight from before?”

“We are... but in the years between then and now we’ve both led different lives and I’m now shacked up with a guy that said the wrong name to her in bed...”

Lillian nodded before helping Mickey unwind a toy that had gotten caught in the fringe of the rug;

“I take it he didn’t do that with you?”

Emily let the smile spread over her face as she was reminded of the night she spent with Steve;

“No, it was Emily each time”

“Each time? Now you gotta give a girl details... how many times were there?!”

The rest of the afternoon was spent with Lillian trying to get salacious details out of Emily, who in turn was very tight lipped out of respect for Steve. When the time came to give Mickey his dinner Lillian made to leave, pulling on her jacket before giving her friend a hug;

“We need to do this more often”

“I know. I’ve missed this”

“I’ll PM you my schedule for the next couple a weeks, I have a date with Johnny tomorrow so am hoping that writes off the rest of the weekend” she said with a wink

“Johnny Storm?”

Lillian stopped, looking at her friend with curiosity;

“How do you...?”

“He knows Steve...”

Emily wasn’t sure how much Lillian knew so left it there, seeing her friend out of the apartment before keeping herself busy fixing dinner for herself and Mickey, tidying the mess that Mickey had made. Pulling the various small things out from under the couch where he’d shoved them her fingers curled around a small piece of card. Dropping the toys into the storage box she stood and peered at the faded typeset;

“Sarah Rogers”

Looking at the birth date she realised it would have been Steve mother she turned the small card over in her hands somehow feeling a pang of loneliness when she realised she missed him so much and they still had so much to learn about each other.

The sound of the microwave beeping to tell her that dinner was ready pulled her from her thoughts, stowing the small card safely on the open shelves high out of Mickey’s reach, weighing it down with her keys to keep it safe.

By the time she crawled into bed that night having let Mickey fall asleep on the couch as she worked on notes for new designs she was asleep within minutes of her head hitting the pillow, Mickey snoring quietly from his little bed in the corner of the room.

~*~

Somewhere in the deep recesses of her mind Emily became aware of a warmth spreading over her back, creeping over her hip and resting on her stomach. Willing her mind to draw itself from the haze of sleep it took her a few moments to come to, and when she realised that she wasn’t alone in her bed anymore she tensed.

“Shhh... its fine... it’s me”

Steve’s soft whisper soothed her panic;

“You’re back”

Shifting under his arm she rolled to face him, hardly able to see in the faint light of the dark night, only the illumination from the small nightlight they’d installed for Mickey showing the tired look on his face. Cupping his cheek softly with her hand she pressed a kiss to his chapped lips before he pulled her close and deepened the kiss. As she found her fingers winding into the soft hair at the back of his head she felt it was still wet;

“Did you shower?”

“Yeah. You wouldn’t have wanted me in here the way I was before...”

Emily wasn’t going to ask, she remembered from the days she was married to Brock that even though he would be run through the decontamination showers at the facility, if it was really bad he’d shower again once he got home, and it was usually because blood took a couple of goes to fully rinse from skin and hair;

“Are you hurt?”

“No... Just tired”

Emily pressed a kiss to his forehead before snuggling into his firm chest, the soft fabric of his bed jersey comforting against her cheek, and she soon found herself dropping off to sleep again thanks to the steady rise and fall of Steve’s chest.

~*~

The next morning Emily woke to find a Steve’s strong hand had crept up the front of her pyjama top and was gently cupping her breast, his breath warm on her neck;

“You awake?” he muttered softly

“I am now...”

She felt his lips curl into a grin as he pressed his body to her hip so she could feel his hardness;

“Next time I do this I’m carrying you into my room...”

Emily’s heart swelled a little when she realised he was mindful of the fact that Mickey was still sleeping in the room they were in. Before she could dwell on that thought any further a little wide eyed face appeared at the side of her bed, grinning at her and Steve before climbing up onto the duvet;

“Morning little man... look who’s back?” Emily smiled as she greeted Mickey, watching as he saw Steve over her shoulder for the first time.

“Dada!”

She felt Steve’s body tense when they both realised what Mickey had said, turning in Steve’s arms so she could see the look of shock on his face;

“Its... it’s something we need to discuss... right?”

Steve nodded, clearing his throat before he looked to Mickey;

“You been good for your Mommy?”

Mickey proceeded to start jumping on the bed, giggling as he watched his mother and Steve shift until they were sitting up, their backs leaning against the bed frame as Steve wrapped his arm around her shoulders;

“So did I miss much?”

Emily realised she needed to tell him about Bucky, clearing her throat as she tried to gather her thoughts;

“There was something... it happened when I went out to lunch to the drug store... OH SHIT”

It suddenly hit her; she hadn’t taken the morning after pill, the whole reason for her trip out two days prior. Steve looked at her, confused;

“What?”

Emily was already climbing out of bed, reaching for her robe as she started to babble;

“First off, I saw something then and I had rushed back to the tower to tell you but you were heading out on your mission, I’ve forgotten to take the damn pill”

“The one to stop the...” Steve motioned his finger to her body

“Yeah”

“Is it too late?”

“No, you can take it up to 72 hours afterwards, but I left it at the office”

“Okay, so take my truck to the tower, traffic will be light this time of the morning. What was the other thing?”

Emily sat on the side of the bed next to him, taking a deep breath;

“Do you remember Jack Collins?”

“Brock’s right hand man?”

“Yeah. I saw him when I was at the drug store”

“What was he doing?”

“He handed someone a package in an alleyway. Some kind of deal”

Steve watched as Emily chewed on her lip, trying to keep his voice calm;

“Emily... please, what else aren’t you saying?”

“The person he sold the stuff to... it was...” she took a deep breath; “It was Bucky”

The next hour was a whirr of activity in the apartment, Steve insisting he was ok to look after Mickey whilst Emily went to the tower, calling Sam as Emily left to ask him to come over, knowing he would be able to see the logical side of things before Steve did something rash like kicking his way into Bucky’s apartment and beat the shit out of him. Giving Emily a kiss as she left, she ruffled Mickey’s hair as he sat at the table eating before scooping her apartment keys and loose change from the shelf;

“I won’t be long”

“Ok, drive safe”

~*~

As Emily climbed out of Steve’s truck she was surprised to see Lillian running up to her;

“Come on! You’ve got to come see?!” she said excitedly

“See what?” Emily asked as Lillian dragged her to the elevator where Johnny was waiting

“Hi Miss Embers” he said shyly as he pressed the button for the floor where Tony Stark’s lab was located.

“Hi Johnny”

She looked to Lillian who had a huge smile on her face, beaming with pride as they rode up through the building;

“Johnny has an interview with Maria to become an agent!”

“Oh hey, congratulations Johnny”

He ran his hand through his close cropped hair and Emily immediately recognised it as one of Steve’s traits, smiling when she realised that kind of thing must be in the DNA rather than learnt from family influence. That thought had her mind turning to Mickey and who his father really was, wondering what he’d get from Bucky’s DNA.

As the elevator climbed through the higher floors the metal elevator shaft became the glass panels of the building, and she was able to see the rainy cityscape before her as her thoughts turned back to Lillian;

“So what are we doing?”

“Tony’s running an experiment!”

“So what’s new? He does it every weekend when staff numbers are low in case of casualties and when there isn’t as much drain on the power supply from everyone working”

“This one is special! I saw the budget outline yesterday, its massive. Portal stuff massive.”

“So...”

“So we might get to see if there can be a link made from here to Asgard”

It still shocked Emily that after the events of New York almost half a decade earlier that they weren’t alone in the universe, and some of the aliens looked incredibly human having seen Thor on the TV, although she was yet to meet him in person. Her thoughts were interrupted by Johnny being rather excited;

“This is SO cool! I mean I haven’t even had an interview yet and I’m going to be able to see one of Mr Starks full on mad scientist experiments”

Emily let her two elevator companions talk excitedly about what was about to happen, stepping aside as they reached the correct floor, only to run into Agent Maximoff as they emerged from the elevator;

“Good Morning Emily” Wanda greeted her in her strong accent; “I wasn’t expecting to see you this morning”

“Yeah... I forgot something in my office and had to come back for it”

Wanda swiped her security pass through the reader and let the four of them into the lab, Emily looking around in wonder until she saw a few familiar faces in the twenty or so people that were in the room. The looming purple form of Vision slowly ascended down from the upper level, greeting Wanda before turning to the rest of them;

“Mrs Rumlow, so wonderful to see you again”

“Hello Jarv... err, Vision. Good to see you too. And I use my maiden name now, but please; call me Emily”

“As you wish”

Although his words sounded harsh she knew that it was just the way he was made – literally – so stood with them as the lab techs worked quietly and efficiently, the screen readings starting to spike as the centre of the room started to waiver as if it was some sort of mirage. From behind one bank of computers Tony looked up, grinning as he saw his experiment was working. Noticing where the small crowd had gathered at the side of the room and giving them a wave before returning to the screen with a frown on his face.

The mirage like wavering started to spin and churn, and Emily could smell sulphur in the air like you did just before a rainstorm was about to hit. The old amalgam fillings she had in her back teeth started to tingle as the mirage became a spinning circle, blue and green sparks pulling from the rim into the centre before finally it suddenly sparked into life, a swirling portal opening up to the chorus of gasps and cheers. A tall figure appeared through the blur, metal breastplate and flowing red cape giving away that Thor was calmly walking through before he stepped down onto the smooth floor of the lab, looking to Tony as the portal whirred behind him;

“Mr Stark!” his deep voice boomed; “You seem to have been successful”

Thor had a huge grin on his face as he looked to his friend, Tony giving him the thumbs up as everyone’s eyes were trained on the portal, a second figure appearing through the blur until his tall frame became clear, and panic set in around the lab.

“Oh, we’re back here?”

His disappointed voice sounded clear as panic started to run through the rest of the people in the lab, Thor turning around to his brother;

“Loki, I told you to stay back until I could explain...”

Thor was unable to finish what he was saying, the portal was starting to change, sparks flying out from the edge rather than into the centre, people starting to push to get away, yet it was having a different affect on some of the people in the room;

“Shit! What the fuck is happening?!”

Johnny looked down at his palms that had started to flame, shaking them to distinguish it but having no luck. Wanda crumpled down onto the floor, her head in her hands as she screamed, her red magic swirling around her and forming a funnel above her like a tornado. Vision let out a strangled cry, the infinity stone in his head starting to vibrate painfully, panic in his eyes as he couldn’t understand what was going on. Behind the panicked enhanced people, the portal had started to collapse, Thor and Loki taking a step further into the room as they looked from the events happening in the room to the portal.

Through it all no-one noticed Emily, her screams fading into the roar of noise that was filling the lab as she was knocked to the ground, something pulling her towards the portal as she slid along the smooth floor. The last thing she saw before the portal closed was Loki flicking his hands out to the chaos that was happening in the room, attempting to contain the red tornado that was rising above Wanda, before everything went black.

~*~

Steve chewed on a nail nervously as he sat beside Mickey and watched him slowly spoon yogurt into his mouth, having a 50/50 success rate at getting the spoon to reach its target. He attempted to keep his mood light, yet his mind was elsewhere as he nursed his coffee. A quiet knock at the door had his head springing up before he raced to the door, thankful to see Sam as he opened it.

“Hey man, what was so urgent you had to pull me out of bed four hours after we just got back?”

“Shhh! Come in!”

Sam immediately saw the worry on Steve’s face, stepping in and closing the door quietly before following him into the kitchen. He took a seat on the far side of Mickey, thanking Steve as he was handed a cup of coffee before letting Steve sit, he knew better than to rush someone when they had something important to say. Finally Steve cleared his throat;

“I’ve got a bit of a situation...”

Sam nodded, sipping his coffee as he let Steve continue in his own time.

“... Emily saw Bucky get involved in some sort of deal with one of Brock’s old team a couple of days back when she went to the drug store”

“Was it at the drug store?”

“No, in an alleyway nearby. She saw Collins hand Bucky a package”

Sam sat and thought for a moment;

“Is Collins Hydra?”

“He was. And I’ve got no reason to consider otherwise”

“Do you know what was in the package?”

Steve shook his head, trying to compose himself and not think the worst;

“What do I do Sam? What if Bucky never left Hydra behind?”

Sam stood and quietly topped up his mug, offering the pot to Steve who shook his head;

“What do you think? Do _you_ think Bucky could still be Hydra? After everything they did to him. You saw what he was like in Romania, he was doing everything he could to evade them _and_ us. I know you think we don’t get on, but the dude has been there for us an awful lot, I definitely think you need to talk to him calmly about this... and as soon as possible”

Steve stood, going to the window as he looked out over the rain soaked streets;

“You’re right. Shit, I don’t know how long Emily is going to be...”

“Go now, I’ll sit here with Mickey. My sister has kids so I’m used to being around them. And I’ll literally be next door, all you need to do is holler and I can be there in seconds if you need me”

Steve nodded, fishing the spare key for Bucky’s apartment out of the old Empire State building mug without a handle that sat in the cupboard;

“I’ll leave the apartment door open so you can hear”

~*~

Steve stood outside Bucky’s door, turning the key over in his hands before he quietly slotted it into the lock, turning it quietly before he pushed into the darkened apartment. Leaving the door open slightly as he took a few tentative steps before stopping, listening intently to the quiet sounds of the apartment; the clock ticking, the hum of the refrigerator humming, and through it all he could hear a quiet sniff. Listening again he heard it coming from the bathroom and edged nearer, stepping into the narrow sliver of light that crossed the hallway and peered in.

What he saw made his heart sink. Bucky was sat on the floor, his head resting against his propped up knees as his flesh arm lay limp against his side. Steve pushed the door open slowly, knowing the Bucky by now knew he was there, finally seeing the syringe filled with the pale blue liquid resting in his metal hand.

“Steve...” Bucky’s voice sounded broken; “Steve please...”

He bent down and plucked the full syringe from his friend’s hand, setting it onto the counter before kneeling at his friend’s side;

“Bucky... What’s going on?”

Steve sucked in a painful breath as Bucky looked up at him and he saw for the first time his sunken eyes and tear stained cheeks;

“It’s Hydra... what they did to me... What they pumped into me... Its how they made sure I always came back, because I needed it”

Steve realised what Bucky was saying, that Hydra had pumped him so full of drugs and chemicals they’d forced an addiction on him, and when Hydra had fallen his supply had gone;

“What’s in it?”

Bucky leant back against the side of the bath and took a deep breath;

“Amphetamines, Steroids, a painkiller similar to Morphine, Caffeine... that’s the closest mix they can find to match what Hydra used to give us”

“Us? Who’s us? And who’s making this stuff? Is it Collins?”

Bucky shook his head;

“No, he’s doing what he can to help those of us that were displaced. He found a lab in Saskatchewan; it comes over the border in shipments of cheese of all things...”

Steve sat back against the wall, looking at his friend, unsure what to do;

“How come you didn’t need it in Wakanda?”

Bucky shrugged;

“Perhaps it was because they gave me painkillers for the Cryo and then the procedure for the new arm? I dunno. All I know is that it had worked its way out of my system by the time I got back here” his lip trembled as he remembered the withdrawal; “And it hurt so bad, my whole body. It was worse than anything Zola ever did to me”

“So what do we do now? What happens next?”

They sat in silence for a moment before Bucky finally spoke;

“If I don’t take it I get sick. If I do take it I become fun happy Bucky that everyone loves, but that needs another hit in two weeks time”

“You can’t take it Buck... you need to get off this stuff. You need to consider your responsibilities now...”

“Stark?”

“No, Mickey you fool. Emily has only just let you back into Mickey’s life. No matter what happens between Emily and me _you_ are still Mickey’s father”

Steve let his words hang in the air for a moment, watching as the realisation of his situation sank into Bucky’s mind; that no matter what he had to get himself cleaned up. Before he could reply they both heard the sound of small feet running into Bucky’s apartment, and a small familiar face appeared in the doorway, closely followed by an out of breath Sam who was still holding a phone to his ear;

“Yeah... hang on a second...” he looked from Steve to Bucky to the syringe that still sat on the counter and immediately knew what was going on, he’d seen it many times before with veterans that left the forces. He looked to Steve as he held the phone to his chest;

“Sorry man, he just ran off whilst I was on the phone...”

“No worries Sam... Could you just take him back to my apartment?”

“We’ve got a situation...”

“What?”

“There’s been an accident at the tower” Steve’s eyes shot up Sam’s as he was handed his phone; “Its Tony”

Steve tentatively took the phone, his hands shaking as he pressed it to his ear;

“Tony...?”

“Steve... There’s been an accident... It’s Emily”

“What... where is she?”

“We don’t know...”

 


	8. Chapter 8

Taking In Strays – Chapter 8

Emily groaned as she came to; the bright lights above her hurting her eyes, shapes moving beyond her focus. Voices started to become clearer as she was able to concentrate on the pounding in her head;

“Miss? Miss? Can you hear me?”

She blinked at the bright lights, holding her hand to her head;

“Where am I?”

“Bellevue Miss”

Emily considered what the voice had told her; Bellevue? The hospital?;

“Where’s Steve? And Mickey?”

“Who? Is that your husband Miss?”

As she pondered what the voice had said she was finally able to focus on the room, seeing a young looking nurse at the foot of her bed, the dark iron frame a stark contrast against the crisp white sheets. Before Emily could answer the questions a middle aged doctor entered the room and dismissed the nurse, checking over Emily’s chart on an old fashioned clipboard that had been hanging over the end of the bed. Glancing at his name badge she read it aloud;

“Dr Erskine”

“Yes, that is me” he replied with a thick German accent.

Emily shifted up in bed, realising that she was in a crisp hospital gown;

“Where are my clothes? How did I get here?”

Dr Erskine took a deep breath before setting her chart back down;

“You were found unconscious in an alleyway, an ambulance was called for you and they brought you here. That was...” he glanced at his watch; “Fifteen hours ago”

“Fifteen hours?!”

The doctor nodded with a bemused look on his face, lifting her hand to check her pulse;

“Hmm... a little fast but I’m sure you’ll be ok in a few days. Your brother will be here shortly to help you home Miss Rogers”

Rogers? Emily was thoroughly confused as to what was going on, she didn’t even have a brother, but a quiet knock at the door and the nurse looked in;

“He’s here for her Doctor, and you’re needed back in the research lab”

The doctor nodded;

“Very well, she’s good to go, just make sure she signs the paperwork for discharge”

As they both left the room a small figure in a hospital porters uniform came into her view, Emily having to blink a few times as she saw him;

“Steve?”

He stepped tentatively into the room, nervously shifting from one foot to another as he looked at her through impossibly long eyelashes;

“Err... Miss... I’m not sure how you got this...”

Emily looked to his hands as she saw him turning his mom’s drivers licence over in his hands, the same licence she’d found under the couch in his apartment only the day before and had managed to scoop into her pocket when she’d grabbed her keys in the rush to leave.

“You’re never going to believe me if I told you...”

“Try me”

“First tell me something...”

“Sure”

“What’s the date?”

“February 1st, 1941”

Emily felt the colour drain from her cheeks. The last thing she remembered was being dragged across the floor of Tony’s lab towards the portal, screaming as she feared for ending up on some far and distant planet or where ever the hell Thor had come from, she had not been expecting to be sent back in time. She groaned and rested her head on her knees, letting the first sob of despair escape her lips. It was only when a delicate hand rested on her bare arm did she look up, surprised to see Steve standing next to her;

“Please Miss, don’t cry... Whatever it is, I promise I’ll believe you”

“You’ll think I’m crazy... Hell, you’ll probably have me committed to the mad house...”

She looked into Steve’s pale bluey green eyes, realising that they were the one thing that hadn’t changed in him, and saw hope, saw someone that wanted to believe. She took a deep breath to gather her thoughts before finally speaking, choosing her words carefully;

“I’m from the future. You and I are dating... and you’re caring for my son. I had gone to run an errand to where I work, but got caught in an accident in the laboratory and now... now I’m here...”

Steve looked at her with wide eyes for a moment, blinking rapidly before nodding once;

“Get dressed and we’ll go. Whatever really happened doesn’t matter; if they hear you talking like that they will have you committed...”

Emily smiled at him before quickly crawling out of bed, seeing her things neatly folded on a chair she went to pull her hospital robe off before Steve quickly turned away, a blush creeping over his pale cheeks;

“You don’t need to do that...” Emily smiled as she started to pull on her underwear; “We’re living together in the future”

Steve shuffled from one foot to the other, his voice quiet;

“Sorry Miss...”

“And please, I’m Emily”

Steve turned just as she had finished buttoning her blouse, pulling her coat on as she shoved her things into her pockets as Steve led her out of the room and helped her discharge herself.

Hurrying along the sidewalk Emily couldn’t help but find it strange to be able to look directly at Steve without having to look up, standing eye level with him as they waited at a crosswalk, catching him looking at her as they walked quickly side by side. After they’d been walking for the best part of half an hour and her feet started to ache, Emily slowed, resting her hand on his arm;

“Where are we going?”

Steve shrugged his shoulder towards the bridge that was now visible above the buildings;

“My apartment... no offence Miss but I thought it would be better to talk about this in private. It’s not the proper thing to do, ya know, invite a lady i’ve only just met to my apartment, but i think it’s for the best... it’s a coupla dozen blocks over the bridge?”

“A couple of dozen?”

“You gonna be ok to walk that? Sorry, I guess I kinda forgot you just got outta hospital Miss...”

Steve dragged his fingers through his hair exactly the way Emily had seen him do in the future, and how Johnny did as well, making her smile;

“Let’s just get the bus? Please?”

Steve looked down nervously, his hands in his pockets before he pulled them out and looked at a very small collection of change that he had, at most 7 or 8 cents and it was then that Emily realised what he’d meant when he had known what it was like to struggle with money that very first night they’d met. She cleared her throat and stepped closer, pulling a few loose coins from her own pocket;

“Look, in the future you helped me out so it’s the least I can to do help you now... how much is the bus?”

He cleared his throat;

“The fares have just gone up, it’ll be a dime for the two of us”

“Just a dime?” Emily looked shocked

“Why, how much is it in your time?”

“It’s like $6.50 for the express bus”

“For like a years pass or something?”

“No, per fare”

They stood staring at each other in disbelief until the sound of a heavy diesel engine thundered past, a cloud of fumes covering the sidewalk. Looking up they both saw the Brooklyn bus come to a halt at the stop just a few feet from where they stood.

“Okay, let’s go” Steve went to lead the way before stopping and turning to Emily; “Look, could I take that coin? The dime?”

“Sure”

She handed him a small handful of change, following close behind him as they joined the back of the queue, letting Steve go ahead as he spoke politely to the driver, asking for two fares to her old neighbourhood. They both thanked the driver before taking their seats, Steve sitting awkwardly on his seat so that he didn’t touch Emily’s leg.

After a considerably longer time than she was used to, Emily found herself recognising some of the old buildings they were passing, and when Steve finally stood to indicate they were coming towards their stop she found herself surprised by her surroundings. Stepping down onto the sidewalk Steve nodded to the building in front of them;

“Here we go”

“This is where you live?”

Emily looked up at the building, one she knew very well, because it was the same building she’d lived in up until she’d met Steve.

~*~

Present Day

Steve sat in the back of Sam’s SUV, his arm wrapped tightly around Mickey who was strapped into the central seat, Bucky in the front seat wrapped in a blanket as he shook, covered in a cold sweat as the withdrawal symptoms started to kick in. With Emily having taken Steve’s truck with the safety seat in for Mickey they’d had to make a snap decision; one that none of them wanted to, but like it or not they all needed to get to Stark Tower, hoping that the solution to both problems could be sorted out once they arrived.

Pulling into the underground parking lot Sam parked up and whilst Steve was helping Mickey out he rushed around to the passenger side and hooked Bucky’s metal arm over his shoulders. Looking up at him in surprise he muttered through the haze that was clouding his mind;

“You’re helping me birdie?”

Sam grunted as he struggled with Bucky’s heavy bulk, his vibranium arm adding more lbs to his bulk than a flesh arm would be;

“Believe it or not Tin-man I’ve seen this before at the VA. I know what you’re going through”

Steve had to choke back the lump that had grown in his throat as he saw his two best friends limping towards the bank of elevators; for all their bickering and fighting to see Sam helping Bucky even though Bucky did nothing but antagonise him most of the time made him realise that both men knew when to swallow their pride. With Mickey clinging to him quietly as they followed close behind, stabbing at the buttons with his free hand he glanced to Sam who nodded;

“You go to the lab and speak to Tony. I’ll take Buck to the med unit, hopefully Dr Cho will be in”

Just a few minutes later Steve stepped into Tony’s lab and didn’t know where to look first. Through the chaos Tony stepped over Wanda’s legs as she sat on the floor, a night mask over her eyes as she held an ice pack to her forehead, Vision sitting next to her with his head resting in his hands in what could possibly be the most human pose he’d ever seen him in. Static crackled through a comms unit sat on the nearby desk, Tony jabbing at the button and speaking clearly;

“Med lab, please report”

“Lillian has been treated for burns to her left arm, Johnny has been given a sedative to reduce the activity; both will be monitored overnight sir”

“Thanks”

He jabbed at the button as he let out an exasperated sigh, finally turning to Steve who was still holding Mickey in his arms;

“Oh god Cap, where do I fucking start?”

“Perhaps an explanation as to where my girlfriend has gone? And what the hell you were doing here?”

“You’d better follow me”

He nodded towards his office where the blinds were closed, walking slowly as he started to explain;

“We’d set up the configuration to open a portal between here and Asgard; you know, an emergency failsafe should we need their help for anything. Thor was helping transfer information and readings back and forth, and he offered to be the test subject for the first flight... but then we had someone hitch a ride with him... and we hadn’t calibrated for a second person so it threw the readings out...” he paused as he let his hand rest on the door handle; “It made the portal collapse, Emily was watching with a bunch of other tech’s that were in on the weekend... she was nearest the portal and... and... shit...”

He opened the door to his office and stepped inside, letting Steve follow. When he saw Thor there was wave of relief on his face, but spotting the other figure as he leant against the back wall had that feeling only stay momentarily;

“He was the hitchhiker?”

Loki smirked;

“Soldier... I see you have procreated” nodding to Mickey who was now wriggling in Steve’s arms.

“Its none of your fucking business what I’ve been up to. From the mythology I’ve read I hear you’d rather be spending your time in the city stables”

The sound of Thor choking back a snort of laughter at Steve’s comeback had Tony stepping in, watching as Mickey started to play with the magazines that sat on the low table in near the couch. Voices started to be raised as the men argued, Tony and Thor attempting to explain, but with Loki adding insults into the mix things got heated very quickly. That was until Mickey ran across the room crying, clinging to Steve’s leg as he looked up at him scared. Scooping him into his arms Steve pressed a kiss to his forehead;

“Its ok little buddy, we’ll find your Mommy”

He looked to Tony who was sitting on the edge of his desk, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger;

“What do you need Cap? To get settled here whilst we run some tests?”

“Uh, I guess some toys, and some milk? God, I don’t know. Emily makes this look so easy...”

“I’ve called Scott in to give you a hand, he’s closer than Clint and can help with all that parenting stuff the rest of us have no clue about. You can raid whatever you need from the daycare centre and take it up to my penthouse, the fridge is fully stocked”

“Thanks man”

Giving one final glance to Thor and Loki, Steve stepped out of the room and made his way through the building to get what he needed, trying to keep his mind off of the darker thoughts he was having, for Mickey’s sake if not his own.

~*~

1941 New York

Emily tentatively followed Steve into his apartment, looking around at the neatly kept but sparse furnishings. Even by war time standards things were old and out of date, and as she glanced at the small couch she wasn’t sure if she should sit or wait for him. She had so much running through her mind that when he finally did speak, she missed it at first;

“Sorry?”

“I asked if you’d like me to take your coat Miss?”

“Oh... thanks. And please, it’s Emily”

Shrugging out of her jacket she watched as he hung it on a set of hooks behind the door, doing the same with his own before he turned to face her;

“So... err... can I get you something to drink?”

She nodded and watched as he got her a glass of water, handing it to her as she sat on the couch. He pointed to the free seat;

“Can I?”

“Please”

There was a moment of awkwardness where they sat in silence before Steve finally spoke;

“So... you’re from the future?”

Emily set the glass down, letting out a sigh;

“I realise how stupid that sounds, but it’s the only thing I can come up with to explain this apart from it all being a dream”

Steve chewed nervously on his lip, considering his words;

“So is this where you can’t tell me stuff in case you change the future or something like that?”

Emily’s jaw dropped at his words. She hadn’t even considered any consequences of her being there, and she’d seen enough science fiction to know that even the smallest thing could have an exponential effect on the future she knew.

“I... I don’t know...”

“You said we’re living together in the future? So we’re married?”

“No... We’re just boyfriend and girlfriend”

“We’re living together out of wedlock?”

“Things are a little different in the future... umm... less social expectations and constraints”

“And we have a son?”

“I have a son... he’s not... shit. Okay, I’m widowed, my husband was in the military but was killed in action. I raised my son for 18 months on my own until I met you. I was in a very tough situation and was on the verge of being evicted and making me and Mickey homeless...”

“Mickey is your son?” Steve interrupted

“Yes. He’ll be two soon”

“So... how do... is it a big apartment?”

“Yes. Well, kind of. It has two bedrooms. Me and Mickey share one and you have the other. Well that was how it was before...”

“Before?” Steve looked at Emily with a hopeful look on his face, as if she was going to tell him something that he could only dream of. She took a deep breath and finally spoke;

“You and I... we...”

“Have we taken it to second base?”

Emily let out a splutter of laughter at his innocent words, only to be shocked by the look of disappointment on his face when she realised he thought she was laughing at the thought of being that way with him, rather than the innocence of his suggestion;

“You could say that...”

“What do you mean?”

“The whole reason why I ended up in Starks lab was because I was heading back to work to get the... oh shit...”

“What? To get what from Stark? Howard Stark? And what did you mean?”

“I’m going to tell you straight; yes, we have made it waaaaay beyond second base” she rested her hand on his knee to reassure him but couldn’t help but smile when she saw his cheeks flush seven shades of crimson. Pulling her hand away she folded hers in her lap and looked at him;

“I’m not going to lie Steve, you are the kindest, most wonderful, most attractive person I’ve ever met, and I love what we have in the future. And this is why I’m hoping this is all a dream, because I cannot bear to think that I have somehow gotten here and am stuck here away from the only other important person in my life”

“Your son”

“Exactly”

Steve turned slightly, facing her a little more;

“I don’t know anything about you Emily, but something tells me that if this is all a dream then it’s one I don’t want to end. You’re the first woman to ever speak to me like a human being...”

His voice trailed off as he hesitantly lifted his eyes to meet hers again...

~*~

Present Day

Steve settled Mickey onto the couch, carefully extracting his arms from underneath the sleeping toddler as he napped before making his way to the kitchen area to put on yet another pot of coffee. Scott appeared at the door with two grocery bags in his arms closely followed by Tony who looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders;

“Hey, why the groceries? I said the penthouse was fully stocked”

Steve watched as Scott placed the bags onto the counter and turned to Tony;

“Yeah, well kids don’t eat Olives. Or Champagne. Or Smoked Salmon Canapés.”

Tony hopped onto one of the stools, taking the mug of coffee Steve offered;

“Good point”

As Scott unpacked the groceries Steve took a seat next to Tony;

“How’s it going?”

“Urgh... it’s hard. We have no idea even where she is. Thor got a message back to the Asgardians and no-one was reported to have come through on their end... I’m sorry man. But we’ll find her”

Steve knew that Tony was doing his best, that there were so many unknown variables in the science they had been doing that they didn’t even know if Emily was still alive. He didn’t want to think about the possibility that the portal had simply spat her out into outer space or a planet they didn’t even know existed. He rubbed his head as he started to feel a headache forming, pressing harder as the pain suddenly increased until with a shout he fell from the stool, curling to the ground as he held his head in his hands. Finally when the pain subsided he looked up to see Scott and Tony at his side;

“Steve! Steve! Are you ok?”

“What happened Cap?”

Steve pulled himself onto his chair, rubbing his hands over his face;

“I just had this thing happen... it was like all of a sudden I was remembering something, but like new memories were being seared into my brain? God, I have no idea, it must be something to do with the stress as things were getting jumbled together. I saw Emily but she was sat in my apartment”

“Like your _apartment_ apartment?” Scott asked; “Have we actually checked that she’s not just waiting for you at home?”

“No, not my apartment now... my apartment before the war... back in the 40’s”

Scott gripped his shoulder to reassure him;

“I’m sorry man. You’ve had a tough few days. Perhaps its best we get you and Mickey home to more familiar surroundings? Let you get some rest...”

“Yeah... maybe your right... shit, I don’t know how long Sam is gonna be...”

“What’s wrong with your truck?” Tony asked

“Nothing, its parked downstairs but Emily’s got the key”

Tony sprang from his seat in excitement;

“She’s got the key?! This is fantastic news!”

He started for the door before Steve and Scott called out to him;

“Tony! What is fantastic news? What’s going on?”

“There’s a tracker in your key! I had them put into all of the staff cars, so that we knew where people were if anyone was needed urgently or kidnapped or lost...”

“I like how kidnapped takes priority over lost” Steve quipped; “But explains how you would always call me when I was at Dairy Queen to pick up a S’mores Blizzard”

Tony simply shrugged before running for the elevator, leaning out just as the doors were about to close;

“Oh and Cap? There’s a spare key in the lab”

~*~

New York 1941

Emily woke with a start, the unfamiliar quiet of the apartment confusing her until she realised she was still in her ‘dream’. Pulling the covers close around her she looked around Steve’s bedroom, the faint light of morning barely illuminating the room.  The previous evening he’d offered to sleep on the tiny couch even though she’d insisted it was fine, but eventually she’d just given in to his insistency, watching as he’d pulled an old cardboard box from the closet and had explained it was his mothers things that he’d packed up after she’d died, hoping there was something in it she could change into.

The thin cotton nightgown covered her from neck to ankle, and its full length sleeves were neatly buttoned at the wrists, yet the coldness of the room permeated into her bones and made Emily think of when she lived in the same apartment block, somehow both in the past and the future.

Slipping out of bed her bare feet were silent on the wooden floorboards, pulling the door to the bedroom open to see Steve curled up uncomfortably on the tiny couch. As she got closer she could hear his teeth chattering and upon pressing her fingers lightly to his cheek his skin was cool to the touch. Taking hold of his arm she gave him a little shake, stepping back when he opened his eyes in panic;

“What? What’s wrong?”

Taking hold of his hand she pulled him to his feet, holding onto his arms as he swayed on his feet, still half asleep;

“You’re freezing, literally. Get into the damn bed and stop being so stubborn”

Pushing him towards the bedroom he started to babble about social respectability and moral values, but as he reached the bed he showed no resistance as she pushed him onto one side and pulled the covers up around his shoulders, watching his eyes droop as he rested back against the soft mattress. Emily quickly scooted around to the far side, crawling in bedside him and pressing close to him, resting her head on the pillow next to his;

“Look Steve, I’m sorry if this isn’t what you’re used to, but needs must. I’m so cold I’ve lost the feeling in my hands, you are one step away from pneumonia. We keep this between us but right now we need each other”

“Umm... ok”

She watched his eyes fluttered closed as he rolled to face her, seeing his breath hitch in his throat as she shuffled close enough to finally feel his body start to warm. Just as she could feel him start to relax she felt that telltale nudge of something against her stomach and his body go tense, but instead of saying anything she simply feigned sleep, letting her hand rest on his arm until sleep really did take her, finding familiarity in his touch.

Neither Steve nor Emily heard the key in the lock, of the door opening quietly or the slow drunken footsteps. The weary man leaning against the doorframe and letting out a low chuckle;

“Well I never... finally brought a dame home eh Stevie?”

Emily shot up in bed, seeing the familiar man in the room;

“Bucky?”

~*~

Present Day

Steve had Mickey in his arms, holding him back from pressing every single button in the elevator as he cradled the spare key for his truck in his hand. Stabbing at the button for the med lab he let Mickey run around until the doors opened, running after him as the toddler sprinted out of the doors quicker than Steve had imagined possible. Thankfully the med lab doors were key card operated meaning that he at least had a reprieve in his tracking skills for a few moments until Sam released the door lock and let them in.

“How’s he doing?” Steve asked, nodding towards the door that now had Bucky’s name written on the name plate.

“The withdrawal symptoms have well and truly set in now. Helen has taken bloods and he’s on a portable heart rate monitor so he doesn’t rip tubes out” Sam paused; “And he’s started to hallucinate”

“How do you mean?”

“Just before you came in he doubled over, screaming as he held his head. When he finally came to he said it had felt like Hydra was back in his head, trying to erase things yet instead things were being put in rather than taken out; he’d just seen you and Emily in bed”

Steve’s heart dropped, wondering what the hell was going on in Bucky’s head as Sam continued;

“He said you were still skinny...”

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily starts to adjust to life in 1941 whilst Steve has to suddenly adjust to being a parent in the present day.

Taking In Strays – Chapter 9

New York 1941

Bucky looked at Emily with a confused look on his face;

“Do I know you?”

“No...” Emily stuttered on her words; “Steve... Steve told me about you...”

“I did?” he asked quietly, cut off from saying anything else as Emily slid her hand around his thigh to keep him quiet.

“You wanna wait outside and we’ll be right out”

Emily told rather than asked Bucky who slunk away, pulling the door closed behind him. Turning quickly to Steve she kept her voice low;

“Shit... Okay... So Bucky is our next door neighbour in the future. But just tell him that we work together”

“At the hospital?”

“That’s where you work?”

“Yeah. A guy who used to know my Mom gives me work as a porter when he’s short staffed”

“Ok... great” Emily quickly got out of bed, rummaging through the box of his Mom’s things that he’d let her use and found a robe, pulling it over her nightgown before peering out of the doorway;

“Panic over, he’s passed out on the couch”

~*~

Present Day

Steve woke with a start, unable to figure out what the strange noise was and why it was coming from the cabinet at the side of his bed. It took a few seconds to realise it was the sound of Mickey crying coming through the baby monitor, but he was on his feet instantaneously, flying through the apartment and finally opening the door to Emily’s room, scooping Mickey up into his arms who sobbed into his shoulder;

“Mamma”

Steve’s heart sunk, there had been no word from Tony overnight, nothing to say they’d been able to trace her. Before he finally called it a night he’d had a text from Sam to say Bucky had passed out and was finally sleeping peacefully, but would stay in the med lab as the withdrawal symptoms usually got worse before they get better.

“She’ll be home soon kiddo. You want some milk?”

The little boy in his arms nodded, rubbing his eyes sleepily as he was carried to the kitchen and Steve set out making an early breakfast for the two of them, deciding he might as well make use of the early morning before they made their way back to Stark Tower.

An hour later and armed with a duffel bag of things from Bucky’s apartment, Steve made his way down to his truck with Mickey balanced on one arm. Although it was early on a Sunday morning, the drive into Manhattan was slow due to having to stop twice to help soothe Mickey, a third to pickup his toy bear, and a fourth time to figure out how to activate the child locks on the doors after Steve found he could reach the handle whilst in his seat and had opened it as they turned the corner after the bridge.

He pulled into the parking garage just as Scott did, grateful to see a friendly face and relieved when he offered some help;

“You know what the trick is?”

“Please... tell me. I cannot fathom how Emily did this on her own for so long...”

“Put him in the stroller. Completely self contained, you can use one hand to push it”

Steve laughed to himself as he balanced Bucky’s duffel on his shoulder whilst trying to get Mickey out of the back seat, Scott taking over when the kid got his arms caught in the straps.

Once in the tower and Mickey had been dropped off at the daycare centre – Tony had called in extra staff in all departments to help deal with Emily’s disappearance with the promise of quadruple pay for anyone willing to work on the weekend – Steve was finally able to slump into a chair in Tony’s office.

The majority of the morning was taken up with tests and experiments, Thor appeared around lunchtime, assuring them that Loki was being kept busy and out of trouble by a friend on Bleecker Street they could trust. Tony soon joined them and updated Steve on the progress they’d made so far;

“We opened the portal again last night”

“Again?!” 

Steve started to object until Tony held his hand up to silence him;

“Yes. Again. This time with just myself and the big guy here in the room. No-one went through. We sent a drone but all it did was confuse the gate keeper guy...”

“Heimdal”

“Yes, him. But it worked.”

Steve ran his hands through his hair nervously;

“So what about tracking her? With the key?”

Tony tapped a few buttons on the tablet device he was holding;

“Nothing yet. Well, not nothing. We’ve got a faint signal but it won’t stop moving. Plus it keeps saying it’s here in New York. We’re upping the transmitter’s frequency so I hope we can try again in an hour or so”

A commotion outside of the lab had them all looking up, surprised to see Sam and Bucky walking alongside someone else, voices raised yet light hearted as Sam buzzed them into the lab, Bucky entering the office first with Sam and the third man following close behind as he turned back;

“Steve, listen, there is no point arguing, I’ve known you over eighty years...”

Bucky turned to the room and saw Steve sitting on the couch, looking from Sam and the man that had escorted them from the med lab up to Tony’s office;

“What the hell?”

Tony cleared his voice;

“Tinman, I want you to meet Johnny Storm, our latest recruit”

Johnny stepped forwards and shook Tony’s hand, ignoring the looks of amazement on Bucky, Sam, and Thor’s faces. Steve cleared his throat;

“Buck, this is Johnny... my grandson...”

There was a silence in the room for a moment before everyone started asking questions at once, but finally shutting up once Steve yelled at them and explained about that one beautiful showgirl back on his tour of Germany, Bucky finally speaking up once Steve had finished talking;

“Huh... I guess that explains why she wasn’t interested in me”

“Sorry Buck...”

Tony cleared his throat, explaining that Johnny would be training to fill in for Bucky’s duties whilst he was recovering, going through the outline of what they were going to try next with the tests to find Emily. As they filed out of the office Tony caught Bucky’s sleeve;

“You sure you’re ok?”

“Yeah man... listen, thanks for this. I wasn’t sure how you were gonna react to you know... hiring a drug addict...”

“Kid, I’ve been in your place, I know what you’re going through... don’t sweat it”

Pulling the office door closed behind him, Tony and Bucky made to catch up with the rest of the group, but the sudden cries of pain from both Steve and Bucky as they clutched at their heads in unison had everyone else stopping dead;

“FUCK!”

“IT’S HAPPENING AGAIN!”

Steve looked up as Bucky did the same;

“It’s happening again...”

~*~

New York 1941

Bucky sat on the couch nursing a cup of coffee as Steve sat at the table, nervously trying to explain how he’d met Emily, hoping that the story was plausible enough for Bucky to believe in his hung-over state. As he started to stutter on how Emily came to be spending the night with him, she pressed her hand to his arm to get him to shut up before he blew the situation;

“There was a fire at my apartment... everything, literally everything is gone. I came home from work and all I found was a pile of burnt rubble”

Emily wondered if she’d gone a little too far, but when Bucky looked up at her, his eyes had that innocence that showed he hadn’t yet seen the horrors that awaited him in the future;

“So you come back here and hop into bed with Stevie?” he stood up and Emily found him standing directly in front of her as he continued to speak; “He’s my best friend and if you hurt him...”

She looked down, chewing on her lip;

“I won’t hurt him...” glancing over to him as he now stood nervously watching Emily and Bucky; “I’d never hurt him”

~*~

Present Day

The team stood around as Steve and Bucky lay on the floor of the lab, they’d finally stopped crying out in pain as the memories started to subside enough to let their bodies relax as the adrenaline surged through their bloodstreams;

“Fucking hell...”

“Yeah...”

“What did you see?”

Steve turned his head and looked at Bucky as he lay about 5 feet away from him;

“I saw her. And you. You were...”

“Arguing” Bucky finished Steve’s sentence

“How the hell is this possible?”

Steve looked up to Tony who was frowning at them;

“So you Cap, and you Tinman both saw Emily?”

They nodded as Tony quickly ran to his computer, tapping in a few numbers as Steve got to his feet and helped Bucky to do the same;

“Tony, what’s going on?”

He turned and looked from Steve to Bucky;

“These ‘visions’; you’ve not had them before?”

Both men shook their heads, immediately regretting the decision as their headaches got worse as Tony continued;

“Okay so you Cap won’t know the answer to this, but you might...” he paused as he frowned at Bucky;

“From your Hydra days, the pain of these visions or whatever they are, have you ever felt anything like it before?”

Bucky thought for a moment before his face lit up as if he suddenly knew the answer to the pop quiz;

“Yeah... it kinda felt like what happened when they used to wipe me”

“Wipe you?”

“My brain... the memories of the missions. They used to wipe my memory”

Tony folded his arms, chewing on his nail as he gathered his thoughts;

“I might have figured this out...”

He quickly turned from them, tapping away at one keyboard then moving to the touch screen, opening and closing applications before he finally let out a triumphant ‘ah-ha’, pulling the screen on the pivoting arm so that the rest of the team that had gathered could now see it;

“Okay, this... this is the tracking information for Steve’s key that Emily has. I thought the signal had been corrupted, but if what you boys are saying is that you’re seeing Emily but in a setting you both remember, I think this isn’t a corruption...”

He pointed to the corner of the screen, one that showed a digital overhead map of New York and a small red dot illuminated in Brooklyn, using the touch screen to enlarge the numbers that were shown;

“020241. What’s that supposed to mean? It’s not coordinates” Steve frowned at the details until Tony let out an exasperated sigh;

“It’s the date. Second of February 1941” he looked around the room; “Where’s Thor, I need him for this”

Just at that moment the God of Thunder walked in hugging a large tub of Red Vines, chewing wistfully on one as he approached;

“Tony... I heard you yelling”

“I did not yell. I summoned you”

“Whatever you say”

“Thor, time on Asgard; is it the same as it is here on earth?”

Thor shrugged and set the tub of Candy down, nodding to Johnny when he dipped his head to ask for one;

“Sure go ahead, everyone help yourselves to these, they are truly delicious morsels... Anyway, yes Tony, a day is around the same length, years are a little longer, why?”

“Is time travel possible with portals?”

“Oh now I see what you are getting at. Could you travel through a portal and end up in the future?”

“Or the past...”

“Yes. In fact Asgard is around 1100 years behind earth”

“And portals can be used to travel through time as well as space? For instance could someone stay in the same place yet travel back in time?”

The god paused for a moment, realising what Tony was suggesting;

“Absolutely. Is this what you think happened to Miss Embers?”

The rest of the day was spent discussing theories and calculating possibilities, Steve splitting his time between Tony’s lab, the med lab where Bucky had returned to and the daycare centre to spend time with Mickey. By early evening he’d had another two ‘memories’ implant themselves into his mind, and the constant headaches they were causing were starting to drive him nuts. Painkillers had very little effect on him so he just had to put up with it. Checking in on Bucky one last time they briefly compared notes on the new memories they were getting.

~*~

The next few days became a monotonous routine of hours at Stark Tower waiting around for Tony to have a breakthrough, Steve learning incredibly quickly on how to become a parent, all interspersed with the painful ‘memory headaches’ at sporadic points throughout the day.

In an attempt to fill his days with something worthwhile, Steve had visited the Mid Manhattan Library and had withdrawn as many parenting guides as he could find. He would spend his days after he had dropped Mickey at Day care either in the med lab with Bucky, or the two of them would take a trip up to Tony’s penthouse and compare notes from the manuals they were reading, Bucky having insisted that he should read them too, partially to keep his mind busy but also even in his current mental state as he fought the withdrawal symptoms of the hydra drugs he still knew he wanted to be part of Mickey’s life.

When Tony came barrelling into the penthouse one afternoon both Steve and Bucky looked up, wondering what had him so pumped;

“Why the hell haven’t you been answering your phone?” he demanded

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong! It worked! Well, we think it’s worked... come on poindexter, books down and get down to the lab!”

The three men ran down the stairs, not wanting to wait for the elevator, and entered Tony’s lab. Thor stood to one side as the small portal waivered in the centre of the room, and for once the lab was devoid of people watching the events unfold. Whilst Tony immediately went to the bank of monitors and started to tap furiously at the screens, Steve and Bucky stood with Thor, watching silently. When they heard a voice behind them it made all three jump, turning to see Scott in his Ant Man uniform;

“Hey guys”

“What are you...? Why...?”

Steve wasn’t sure what was going on, but turning to Tony as he approached the small crowd and addressed Scott;

“Okay, we’ve stabilised the portal but can’t increase the size. Cap, you’re gonna need this...”

Tony handed Steve an ipad, continuing to explain as he started to steer him towards his office and away from the others;

“Look, at the moment we haven’t been able to calibrate the portal enough to allow for more than one passenger to travel. Whoever travels there has to travel back”

“Tony... shit. You mean she’s stuck there and we can send someone to tell her she’s stuck there but that’s it?”

Tony took a deep breath, steering Steve into the office and closing the door;

“Listen, this is a HUGE development. Ten days ago we didn’t even know time travel was possible. In a week we’ve managed to not only re-create it, we’ve been able to create a wormhole to a specific location, time and date”

Steve looked down at the electronic device that he still held in his hands;

“So what’s this for?”

“I thought you might want to record a message for Emily. As you won’t be able to go through the portal yourself...”

“Why not?” He cut Tony off

“Because if you come across your past self we don’t know what will happen. Plus the portal is tiny, we’re sending Scott. Just fucking record her a message to tell her we’re working on it and everything is ok here, ok?”

He left Steve standing alone in his office, the look of a rabbit caught in headlights on his face as he realised he had no idea what the hell to say.

Ten minutes later Steve emerged from the office and passed the ipad to Scott, watching as he tucked it into his suit and started to limber up as if preparing for a jog. A thought occurred to him and he quickly pulled out his wallet, extracting the ones and fives he had before passing them to Scott;

“Here, give these to Emily”

Scott looked at the pile of notes and kept his voice quiet;

“You know man, if you want me to spot you a coupla’ twenties”

“No no no; a twenty then is like a hundred bucks now, most places wouldn’t even take them, they’d think they’re fake”

“Got it”

Scott shoved the small wad of notes into his suit before giving Steve a quick salute, moving to stand in front of the portal. He gave Tony the thumbs up and started to sprint towards the swirling vortex, shrinking down at the very last moment so he could fit through the 1ft wide centre. Once he’d gone through it set off a small spray of sparks before disappearing with a small pop like a light bulb burning out.

“Did he make it?” Steve asked as Tony pressed buttons manically on the screens

“Just a sec Cap...” everyone in the room held their breath; “Yeah... he’s through...”

~*~

New York 1941

Emily sat by the window of Steve’s apartment, holding up the well worn shirt to the light so she could see where she needed to stitch. Steve had been asked to cover a couple more shifts at the hospital, and although they’d spent his ‘free’ days spending time together, Emily did not feel comfortable heading out into the city on her own. Instead she’d used a small amount of the money she had with her and had visited the store just around the corner from Steve’s apartment, purchasing a few basic sewing supplies to fix the things Steve needed her to do and to take in the clothes she’d had to borrow from the box of his Mom’s things.

Although she had settled into her strange never ending dream, for the last day or so she’d been feeling a little off, unable to place quite what it was. When Steve had left early that morning she’d been pleased to have some time to herself if she was really honest with herself.

She concentrated on the jagged tear in the fabric, peering at it closely as she held it up to the daylight when she heard a small pop, sounding like a light bulb burning out. Frowning she tried to remember if she’d left a light on in the bedroom, confused by the small noise in the relative quiet of the building. Setting the needlework down she stood, taking a few steps towards the door but freezing when she heard the telltale sound of that one floorboard near the window creaking and that’s when she knew; someone else was in the apartment.

Emily immediately went into defence mode, quickly looking around the room for something to use as a weapon, grabbing the tall vase that sat on the dresser and hiding to one side of the bedroom door. She held her breath as she saw the handle start to turn, the door creaking open slowly and a red & black leather boot tentatively step through.

“Emily?”

The combined shock of hearing her name and seeing the man in the strange bug eyed helmet made her drop the vase, standing in shock as she dropped the vase and it shattered into thousands of pieces on the floor. Before she could question who the man was or what he was doing there she was interrupted by a loud knocking on the door;

“Emily? You ok in there?”

Bucky. She’d forgotten that Bucky had said he would swing by to see if she needed anything. She looked from the man in the strange leather suit and back to the door, hearing the sound of the spare key in the lock as she turned in panic back to her unexpected visitor. He held his hand up and nodded;

“I’ll be right here”

The last thing she saw was him pressing the two buttons on his gloves and suddenly shrink to almost nothing, watching as he ran along the top of the dresser, hiding behind a small framed photograph of two people on their wedding day. The sound of the door opening behind her pulled her attention from her unexpected visitor to Bucky as he stood at the door;

“Hey Ems, everything ok? I heard the sound of something breaking just as I was about to knock...”

He looked down at the floor where Emily stood and saw the pieces of broken glass from the vase, her stockinged feet firmly in place as she realised she couldn’t move without cutting herself;

“I... I... a bird flew into the window and made me jump... I knocked the vase over...”

She saw his shoulders drop as he relaxed;

“Just wait a sec... I’ll grab the broom for ya”

Seconds later he reappeared, sweeping the broken shards of glass from her so she could move;

“Thanks Bucky”

For the next 10 minutes he hung around, checking she was ok and if she needed anything. Throughout the whole time she couldn’t get over how much of his future self was already present in his mannerisms and behaviour, seeing him as an optimistic young man that still held hope for his future. Eventually he stood to leave, asking again if she needed anything and she realised he was simply wanting to find something to do that day so asked him to pick up a bottle of milk if he was passing the grocery store, pulling out a few cents from the small coin purse she kept her loose change in. He stood and thanked her, flashing her a lopsided grin that sent a pang of sadness through her, immediately recognising it as the same smile that Mickey had. She walked him to the door and said goodbye, closing it behind him and watching from behind the small curtain that covered the window, making sure he had gone down the staircase before she turned back to the room;

“You can come out now...”

There was a sudden static in the air and the strange man reappeared, pushing a button on the side of his helmet and the face mask retracted back into it;

“Wow... he is just like he is in the future, isn’t he?”

Emily stood staring at him;

“You’re Scott, aren’t you?” she felt the tears welling in her eyes; “I’m really here... it’s not a dream”

She sank to the floor sobbing, Scott catching her in his arms as she realised that she’d been missing for god knows how many days, that her son had been abandoned without her.

“Shhh... its fine. We’re just sorry it’s taken this long to find you...”

“How long have I been gone?”

“Ten days”

Emily blinked at him, a new flood of tears falling down her cheeks until Scott pulled her into a hug, letting her sob against his shoulder until she finally relaxed;

“If you’re worried about Mickey then please, don’t be. Steve has been caring for him 24/7. I’ve been giving him some pointers as my kid is a bit older than yours, but they’re doing ok”

“What about Bucky? Has he been arrested?”

“Arrested?”

“I saw him doing a Hydra deal... Steve was going to sort things out...”

“No, you don’t understand, it wasn’t a Hydra deal...” he took a deep breath; “Basically Bucky is still addicted to the drugs that Hydra gave him. Dr Cho has been helping him work through the withdrawal symptoms. Even through the haze and pain he knew he needed to be there to support Steve...”

He pulled Emily to her feet and helped her sit on the couch, moving quickly to the kitchenette and got her a glass of water which she gratefully accepted, sipping from it before she looked up at him;

“So is this it? Am I going home”

Scott fiddled with the large pocket on his suit;

“Umm.... shit... no”

“What do you mean?”

“Tony... he can only calibrate the portal so that one person can go through. And the same person has to return that departed”

“So I’m stuck here?”

Scott sat on the edge of the couch next to her, pulling the ipad out from his suit;

“Look, Steve recorded a message for you. I haven’t watched it so I don’t know what it contains”

Emily took the modern device from him and stood, chewing on her lip before she made her way to the bedroom, closing the door before sitting on the bed. She thought to how long she’d been there, surprised that it had been that long, and immediately knowing why she had been feeling off colour. Pressing the button she used her thumbprint to unlock it and selected the device’s files, pulling up the latest video, smiling as she saw Steve’s face come up. As he started to talk she felt the tears roll down her cheeks, holding one hand to her mouth as she smiled;

“Emily... god, I have no idea what to say. Firstly Mickey is doing fine. Yes he’s missing you like crazy but somehow I’ve mastered this parenting thing. I have no idea how you do it...” he cleared his throat before looking back to the camera; “I’m so sorry it’s taken so long to find you, and can’t even imagine what you’re going through, but want you to know this, right now you are making me the happiest man in the whole of New York. You’re giving me – and Bucky – new memories, we’re seeing that time through new eyes. And shit... yes, Bucky. He’s not Hydra, he was taking pain meds that Hydra had pumped into him for years but he’s getting treatment. He is fighting it for Mickey’s sake”

Emily watched as he took a deep breath, looking up to the ceiling as he quickly wiped his eyes and she knew he was trying to hold back tears;

“I miss you so much Emily. You’re my world, I never knew that I wanted this until it was taken from me... we’re going to get you back where you belong...” he paused before looking directly into the camera; “I love you Emily”

The video ended and the room fell silent, Emily resting the ipad onto the soft quilt that covered the bed as she let the tears flow down her cheeks. Finally she wiped her face dry and picked it up again, pressing the record button before she started to speak.

Moments later she was handing the ipad back to Scott who was checking the stopwatch on his wrist before he looked back to her;

“I’ve got about another 30 seconds before the portal is reopened” he stuffed the ipad into his suit and pulled out a small wad of cash; “Here, this is for you from Steve”

“Thanks” she gave him a quick hug before stepping back; “Really, thank you for this... I guess I’ll see you soon”

The portal opened and she watched as Scott gave her the thumbs up before running towards it, shrinking down and passing through the small whirlpool in mid air before it disappeared out of sight with that now familiar pop.

She stood for a moment staring at the space where it had been before she heard the quiet knocking at the door, bringing her mind back to the time she was in. Opening it she smiled when she saw Bucky standing there, holding out a glass bottle of milk;

“Ems, for you”

“Thanks Bucky” She looked at the clock on the side and turned back to him; “Do you want to wait for Steve to come home? He should be back in less than an hour... I could put a pot of coffee on if you like?”

“Thanks, that’d be nice”

He stepped in bashfully and sat on the couch as she busied herself with the old fashioned coffeepot before turning to him;

“Hey, have you and Steve ever had Chinese food?”

He blinked at her a couple of times before replying;

“I don’t think so...”

“Let’s go to Chinatown this evening for dinner”

She smiled back, looking forward to showing them an area she was more than familiar with; she’d visited Lillian’s grandparents restaurant regularly before she was married. She still recalled now how Lillian’s grandmother would tell her about how she would wait tables before the war.

~*~

Present Day

Steve waited in Tony’s lab, nervously chewing on his thumbnail as they waited for Scott to return, looking to the portal as it swirled around, stretching as Scott emerged from the centre of it and grew back to his natural size, staggering on the slippery floor tiles as Steve reached out and steadied him.

“Is she alright?”

Scott hit the button to retract his visor, letting Steve help him to his feet;

“Yeah man, she’s good. Scared but good” he reached into his suit and pulled out the ipad; “She recorded a reply”

He left Steve holding the device as the lab buzzed around him, Tony grilling Scott for details and feedback regarding his brief trip. After a few minutes Tony looked up to see Steve still standing in the same spot, staring down at the ipad;

“You can use my office again if you want”

Steve blinked a couple of times before nodding, walking across the room in a daze before shutting the chaos of the lab out. With shaking hands he started the recording, feeling the lump in his throat grow as he saw Emily’s tear stained face appear on the screen;

“Steve... there’s not much I can say. I thought this was all a dream” she took a deep breath, looking around before facing the camera again; “It was the only way I could tell myself that I had left behind Mickey... left you behind... I love you so much...” when her lips started to waiver and she started to cry Steve felt the first tear slide down his own cheek; “Steve, you’ve got to find a way to bring me home... please, I can’t stay here...” she paused as she looked directly into the camera;

“I’m pregnant”

 

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Emily grows closer to pre-war Steve the inevitable happens with their relationship.

Taking In Strays – Chapter 10

New York 1941

Emily could feel the nerves in her stomach as she sipped her coffee, waiting for Steve to get home as Bucky drank his in silence, the pair of them sitting awkwardly on the tiny couch until they heard the key in the lock, Steve walking in wearily but his face picking up when he saw the two of them;

“Hey”

Emily stood, wanting to rush across the room to wrap her arms around him, but she held back, remembering that in this world she and Steve were not an item;

“Hey Steve” she smoothed the skirt of her dress down, her fingers lingering on her stomach without realising; “I was wondering... if you wanted to head to Chinatown for some food tonight?”

It took some convincing but eventually Steve agreed, needing reassurance that the food would not be spicy or ‘weird’, Emily assuring him that she’d had it before and would help him choose what they would like, explaining they could all share their dishes to try a bit of everything.

They waited for the bus back into Manhattan; Bucky reading the sports scores aloud from the newspaper that had been disguarded on the seat at the stop. Emily smiled at the way his and Steve’s friendship had a special dynamic; although Bucky was physically bigger and more imposing, Steve always got his opinions and ideas across. She found herself standing close to Steve’s side, her hand instinctively resting on her stomach again as her thoughts wandered. She hadn’t realised she’d been there so long, but as she cast her mind back to the present day she recalled how when she’d spent her night with Steve it had only been four or five days until she was due on her period. She recalled from the time she had the IVF to conceive Mickey, her nerves as she waited for the result and how her period that was usually on time to almost the hour had been late. By the time she’d been three days late she knew, and right then she recognised the strange surges in her hormones.

As she stood next to Steve she found herself slipping her hand into his, smiling at him as he turned with a surprised look on his face. She knew that he thought she’d done it by accident, but she needed to touch him, to feel close to him. Running her thumb over the back of his hand she smiled, trying to remember how to act in such different times. She felt him relax as he returned her smile and it was only when a small cough from Bucky caught their attention did they look away from each other;

“If you two lovebirds are hungry, our bus is coming” he said with a smirk on his face.

The bus ride to Manhattan was quieter than usual, the evening rush already having come to an end, fewer people doing the return trip onto the island than those returning home into the boroughs. Emily guided the two men through the streets, the bright red paper lanterns adorning the buildings swinging in the cold wind ready for Chinese New Year, the golden snakes painted on the sides glinting in the low streetlight.  Emily smiled when she found the familiar restaurant, recognising the ornate tiles that decorated the doorway that looked much newer than when she’d seen them, no chips in the glaze or scuffs around the edges. She led the way, smiling at the sound of the little bell that still rang over the door, a familiar face greeting them as the three of them saw the young waitress;

“Ni Hao!”

Emily greeted the young waitress with a smile, realising that she was Lillian’s grandmother, just 75 years younger than she knew her as. They were seated in the quiet restaurant, just a couple of other Chinese patrons eating in the far corner who smiled and nodded at the unfamiliar strangers as they sat.

“Have you eaten Chinese food before?” the young waitress asked

“I have... but these two haven’t...” Emily motioned to Steve and Bucky who were sitting nervously either side of her.

“Well, I’ll help you through your order. My name is Liu. I’ll leave you with these menu’s, take your time, you’re very welcome here”

They watched Liu leave, disappearing into the back before both Steve and Bucky started asking questions in hushed voices;

“Are you sure about this?” “This will just be weird food like gizzards and stuff ain’t it?” “What if we say the wrong thing?”

Emily tried hard not to laugh, realising that this was such an alien concept for them that in a way it was a scary experience;

“Listen, in the... where I’m from this is completely normal. If you want I can order for you...” she smiled at Bucky; “And I promise, no gizzards”

Both men let Emily take charge, watching with interest as she ordered food that was familiar to her, yet would be worlds away for the two of them. As their orders arrived the two other patrons paid and left, nodding a greeting to them as they passed whilst Emily was showing Bucky how to eat noodles with chopsticks. He ducked his head down and spoke in a low voice;

“Are you sure we’re welcome here? The place is abandoned...”

Emily looked up and caught Liu’s attention, watching as she came over to the table;

“Is everything ok?”

“Liu... my friends are worried that because we are here it’s driving away other customers for you... because we’re not Chinese”

Liu looked wide eyed at the two guys before a large smile spread over her face;

“No, of course not! It’s quiet because its three days until New Year! Everyone is saving their money to spend afterwards” she watched as her customers look relieved; “If there’s nothing else I’ll leave you be and return to my meal...”

Emily picked up on this;

“Why don’t you join us?”

By the time they had finished their meal, Bucky and Steve were talking animatedly with Liu, the three of them laughing and joking as Emily sat back in the comfortable chair, a smile on her face as she thought about how much of their personalities already showed through this long ago. When they were mid conversation the chef appeared from the back, talking to Liu in Mandarin before she replied quickly;

“We’re closing soon...”

Bucky cleared his throat, putting on an award winning smile;

“Do you like to dance Liu?”

Emily and Steve exchanged glances and smiled as they watched Bucky put on the charm offensive, and fifteen minutes later the four of them were standing in the quiet street outside the restaurant, Bucky crooking his arm and grinning as Liu looped hers through it, walking in the opposite direction before he paused and glanced over his shoulder;

“You two comin’?”

Emily slipped her hand into Steve’s;

“Do you want to?”

Steve shook his head;

“I just want to spend time with you”

“Let’s go home then”

They waved off Bucky and Liu before turning in the opposite direction, taking a seat on the cold bus stop.

“Thank you... for bringing me here tonight” Steve said quietly, his thumb dancing over Emily’s hand as he finally brought his gaze up to hers; “Do we eat that in the future?”

Emily nodded;

“We know Liu’s gra...We know the family”

Steve didn’t ask any further and Emily didn’t offer any more information, instead they sat in a comfortable silence until she felt a shiver run through her;

“Steve?”

“Yeah?”

“What time do the buses stop?”

It was at that moment they realised they were going to have to catch a cab home, laughing as they ran along the street away from China town, finally hailing an old yellow taxi that would take them over the bridge.

Pushing in the door to the apartment a while later, they both rubbed their arms against the chill that greeted them, heading straight to the bedroom as they laughed about their evening.

“Has Bucky always been such a ladies’ man?”

Steve looked up at Emily’s words and smiled;

“Yeah, since we were in school he always had the girls flocking around him... is he the same in the future?”

Emily laughed as she fluffed the pillows before turning the bed down;

“Yeah, at first I thought he was getting paid for his services when I kept hearing the noises coming through the wall from his apartment”

“He’s a gigolo?”

This time Emily could not contain her laughter;

“No, he’s just very popular with the ladies... has them praying every time he has one over”

“Praying?”

Emily tipped her head back and laughed;

“Oh god! Oh God! YES!!! Like that”

When she looked back to Steve he had blushed all the way up to the tops of his ears, watching as he shifted nervously;

“Yeah... I can imagine Bucky doing somethin’ like that...” he paused before looking back to Emily; “And it’s not frowned on? Doin’ it before marriage?”

“No... Well some people disapprove; really religious people, but yeah, it’s normal to show physical love to someone before you’re married”

“Have we?”

Emily was sure that the grin on her face told him what he wanted to hear, but still she answered, walking over and standing in front of him;

“Yeah, we’ve... made love”

Standing in just her stockinged feet Emily realised she was about half an inch shorter than him, looking into his ice blue eyes as she took his hands in hers and felt them shaking;

“There’s no need to be nervous...”

He let out a very nervous laugh;

“I’m not... I...”

She silenced him as her lips touched his, pulling his hands until they rested on her hips before she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. It was a tentative kiss at first, their lips barely moving until Steve relaxed and let Emily lead, soon he became bolder and started to press kisses down her jaw line to her neck. The sounds that were escaping her lips made him smile, and as his lips curled against her skin she knew he was starting to feel confident. Finally he pulled away, staring intently at her as he panted short  breaths;

“Is this ok? Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Yes Steve, I’m really sure”

“What about babies?”

Emily swallowed nervously, stumped for a moment as she tried to figure out what to say when the reality was that she was already pregnant with his child;

“I’m... I’m on a medication... it stops babies from happening, I don’t conceive”

“Are you sure? I’ve never seen you take any pills”

“It’s... It’s an injection...”

“Oh right... Urgh, I hate needles”

“Sometimes it’s worth getting past your fears for the future benefits”

As she spoke she started to pull his tie from its knot and unbutton his shirt, her fingers brushing against the soft pale skin, watching as he shivered;

“Cold?”

“Not exactly”

His lips curled into a smirk as he leant forwards and kissed her again, this time taking the lead and proving he was a fast learner. Soon their clothes were in a pile at their feet, Steve standing in just his billowy cotton shorts, Emily in the uncomfortable bra, panties, and garter belt, her stockings held up with the strong elastic stays. Reaching around her back she unhooked the bra, letting it fall from her arms, smiling as she saw Steve’s eye fixated on her chest;

“You can touch if you like”

Stepping forwards he tentatively cupped her breasts in his hands, weighing them gently before he ran his thumbs over her nipples, sending another shiver through her body;

“Are you cold?”

“No... It’s your touch... it feels so good, I’ve missed it”

“We’ve done this in the future?”

Emily nodded, taking his hands and gently pushing him onto the bed before she straddled his waist;

“Tell me if you want to stop or if I’m going to fast”

She could feel the passion and desire burning within her, for all of the stark differences, he was still her Steve, still the man she’d fallen in love and lust with. Leaning forwards she kissed him again, this time their bodies touching and she could feel him hard beneath her, the insistent nudge against her thigh a welcome feeling. Pulling back she looked down at his crotch and smiled.

“Sorry” Steve voice was quiet

“Don’t be”

Emily reached down and wrapped her fingers around his length through the thin fabric, surprised to find him almost the same size as he was in the future, her eyes going wide as she looked up at him.

“What? Is everything ok?” There was worry in his voice; “Am I not the right size? I’ve never... I don’t want to disappoint...”

She kissed him briefly before grinning at him;

“I can assure you that you are the perfect size and you do not disappoint in any way”

She shifted and took hold of the elastic of his shorts, pulling them down until his length sprang free, the angry red tip leaking precome. Generously coating her palm with saliva she wrapped her fingers around him, enjoying the feel of his hot heavy flesh in the palm of her hand as she stroked him a couple of times, the moans of pleasure escaping his mouth sending shocks to her core. Through lust blown eyes he stared at her, his hands resting on her hips as he boldly started to play with the lace of her garter belt. As he started to trace the edge around her thigh he spoke quietly;

“Is this ok? Can I touch you?”

Emily nodded, watching Steve’s hand move slowly between her legs, brushing over the thin cotton of her panties, his knuckles pressing against the dampness;

“You’re wet...”

“Yes, I am...”

“Is that... is that normal?”

She nodded, realising that sexual education was not something that would have been taught in that era;

“Very. The more aroused a woman gets the more slickness she produces... it helps with natural lubrication”

“Lubrication?”

Emily took Steve’s hand, gently pressing her fingers against his as she guided him;

“This... this is the clitoris. It’s a really sensitive bundle of nerves and it feels _really_ good if you gently stroke it” she swirled her finger around, guiding his with it, keening against her efforts before moving his wrist; “...then this... this is my vagina, its where we fit together...”

Steve caught on and gently slid a finger inside, making her clench around him;

“I... I just felt you... from the inside!” he said excitedly

“Yes... and it feels amazing...”

“You’re so... small, on the inside... I don’t think I’d fit...”

“I can assure you I can stretch” she said with a kind smile.

Rocking her hips against Steve’s wrist she palmed his length again, returning her lips to his as they kissed passionately, Steve learning very quickly what Emily liked and soon she was shuddering around his fingers, her orgasm approaching rapidly.

“Are you ok?”

Emily nodded; “Yes, please... don’t stop...”

As she started to buck on his hand he leant forwards and took one of her nipples into his mouth, licking at the hardened peak as she came with a cry, gripping onto his shoulders until she went limp, resting her forehead against his as she tried to catch her breath.

“Was that right?”

“Yes, that was perfect”

She shivered as he withdrew his fingers from her, bringing them to his lips as mischief played in his eyes;

“You’re a quick learner Steve”

~*~

Present Day

Steve sat at the table in the conference room, the majority of the team also seated as they went through an amended schedule for missions that excluded Steve, Bucky, and Tony. Johnny was sat at one end trying not to show his excitement at being put on the rota so quickly. As the meeting droned on Steve found his mind wandering, thinking about Emily, about how once she’s back they could start preparing for the arrival of their child. But then it hit him; what if she didn’t come back? What if she had to bring their child into the world seventy five years ago? Pre-war Steve would be wholly unprepared to raise a child; hell, he was hardly ready now.

As the meeting started to draw to a close Steve started to feel the now telltale signs that another ‘memory headache’ was coming. Closing his eyes and preparing for the worst as it started to hit.

“You ok Steve?” Natasha’s voice had concern it in as she asked from the seat next to him

“Yeah... just another memory coming through” he said as he rested his head on the table, the cool surface doing little to help.

“Ok, meeting over”

Clint cleared the room, ushering everyone out quietly until just one other voice remained;

“You ok Stevie?”

Bucky. Steve looked up to see his best friend sat a few seats down from him, pinching his nose as he too felt the onset of more memories flooding his cerebral cortex against his will.

“Yeah... just about...”

“What you seein’?”

“Red lanterns...”

“Me too... and Chinese food”

“Are we on a double date or something?”

Another wave of memory hit both of them, causing them both to rest their heads against the table.

“I dunno... I’m dancing with this amazing Chinese broad right now... what are you doing?”

The memories started to flood into Steve’s mind;

“Uuuurh... not dancin’.... Holy shit...”

He couldn’t help but to let out a low laugh even through the pain that was shooting through his head.

“Stevie?”

“I’m good... I’m real good...”

“Shit man, are you having a sex memory?”

Only Steve’s giggle could be heard at first;

“Yeah... Emily’s showin’ me the ropes...”

“Ropes? She’s into kinky shit like that?”

“Metaphorically... shit...” he giggled again, gasping against the pain; “Oh my god...”

“Buddy, you need me to get you to the med lab?”

Steve shook his head against the table, his eyes screwed tightly shut;

“No... Hell no... I can’t go anywhere for a moment...”

Bucky let out a snort of laughter when he realised why Steve couldn’t go anywhere, peering out from behind his hand as he saw his old friend shift uncomfortably in his seat.

Finally the memories started to subside, Bucky recovering first;

“Shit... this withdrawal recovery stuff would be a _lot_ easier if it wasn’t for these new memories...”

Steve looked up, leaning back in his chair as he ran his hands over his face;

“I don’t even have the withdrawal issues and it’s hard...”

Bucky snorted;

“That’s what she said...”

Steve blushed seven shades of crimson;

“Buck, I gotta tell you somethin’... Emily’s pregnant”

“What? When did that happen? Like in the memories?”

“No, just before she got sucked into the portal... before that mission I was on. We spent the night together and kinda forgot about being safe. It’s why she was coming to the tower on the weekend; she’d left her emergency contraception in her office but never got chance to take it. With the amount of time she’s been gone she’s realised she should have had her period by now...”

Bucky got to his feet, staggering the couple of feet to his friend and pulling him into a hug;

“Congratulations man”

“Thanks”

“Hey... you need to tell Tony”

“Why?”

“Because it might have some affect on the portal. Didn’t he say it was all to do with DNA?”

“Shit, you’re right”

Steve stood straight, adjusting his jeans and thankful that his body had since calmed down from the excitement of his new memories, glancing up just in time to see a very angry looking Lillian storming towards the conference room they were in. She burst through the door and let it bang loudly against the wall whilst she held her phone away from her ear, the loud shouting in Mandarin clearly heard even from ten feet away. She glared at Steve before turning her attention to Bucky;

“YOU!”

“Me? What did I do?” Bucky looked bemused as she strode up to him

“I have my ninety six year old grandmother on the phone... she wants to know why she is having a terrible headache and suddenly remembers that my Grandfathers name is James and was a handsome G.I... why he knocked her up and left for war and now recognised you from the facebook photo’s i put on of the after mission drinks i joined you guys on a few weeks ago!”

“Your grandmother is on facebook?” he said with disbelief. The sound of Lillian’s slap against his cheek brought him back to reality, before looking at Steve;

“Shit”

~*~

New York 1941

Emily felt the warm sunlight on her skin as she woke slowly, Steve’s arm draped over her hip and resting against her stomach. Her body that that pleasant soreness you get after good sex and she found herself smiling as she recalled how their night had played out; the first time they’d had sex she had been on top, guiding Steve through his first time, controlling the speed so that it lasted long enough for the both of them to enjoy it. Afterwards they’d cuddled under the covers, fingertips dancing over skin as they talked, Emily asking the majority of the questions, wanting to find out more about Steve. Soon the touches had become bolder and became caresses, and that’s how the second time they made love happened, Steve taking the lead as Emily lay beneath him with her legs wrapped around his waist.

As the morning light got brighter Emily slid out from beneath Steve’s arm, touching her feet to the floor only to pull them away at the freezing cold touch of the floorboards. Seeing her shoes she’d worn the previous night she slipped them on, feeling strange in just a pair of heels as the cold air hit her bare skin. Grabbing Steve’s shirt she made her way to the bathroom, returning a few minutes later to see Steve sitting up in bed, his eyes wide as he saw in her how little she was wearing;

“Wow...”

Emily looked at his tussled hair and bright eyes and felt her heart leap to her throat. Sitting on the side of the bed she looked up to him;

“Steve...”

“Is this where you tell me you regret last night?”

“No! Not at all...” she took a deep breath; “I’ve been here almost two weeks... the time I’m sure will come soon when they find a way to get me home... I want you to understand... to understand that one day you may come home and I’ll just be gone” she paused as she looked up at him again; “And I don’t want to break your heart”

She felt his soft fingers take hold of hers before he pulled them up to his lips, kissing each one gently;

“I realise that Emily. And I know you won’t do it on purpose” he leant forwards and pressed a kiss to her cheek; “I say we just enjoy what we’ve got here now... there aren’t many other dame’s lining up around the block so you’re kinda special to me...”

Pushing his hair from his face she held her hand to his cheek;

“You’ve still got that same sparkle in your eye in the future Mr Rogers” He grinned at her, moving his hand that still held hers until she could feel his erection; “Did you want to be on top?”

“I’ve had an idea...”

“Oh yes?”

“I kinda over heard some of the guys at work talkin’ about doing a broad from behind... like standing...”

Emily couldn’t help but to grin at his suggestion, said so innocently yet so erotic at the same time. It was a position she hadn’t even considered with ‘her’ Steve due to the height difference, but with this Steve it would work perfectly. She stood and pulled his hand, watching the sheet fall away as he stood, his erection standing proud from the nest of dark blond hair.

“Where should we...”

He asked innocently, letting Emily lead him to the foot of the bed where she stood in front of him and pulled him close for a passionate kiss. His hands strayed to her chest, plucking open the single button that she’d fastened the shirt with, his hands cupping her breasts and pinching her nipples. She slipped her hand between her thighs, feeling how wet she had already become and knowing deep down it was the pregnancy hormones partially to thank for that. Spreading some of the slick over herself she broke away from Steve’s lips and turned, smiling at him over her shoulder as he stood close behind her, his hand running between her legs to orientate himself. Grasping his length he shuffled closer and she felt that first telltale touch of his blunt head pushing at her entrance, bending forward slightly to allow easier entry as she pushed her hips back, feeling him slide deep into her and she let out a moan;

“Oh fuck... Steve... that feels so good”

“Can I move?”

“Yes... oh god, yes please!”

After a few nervous thrusts he started to get into it, the noises they were both making soon filling the apartment, drowning out the sound of the key in the front door.

~*~

Present Day

Steve woke with a start, feeling a small foot make contact with his face and for a moment he wondered what was going on. He soon remembered that it had been the first night Bucky had been allowed ‘home’, yet he hadn’t wanted to spend the night in his own apartment, instead Steve offered Bucky his own room, and he had slept in Emily’s bed so he could keep an eye on Mickey. As he looked across the bed to where the small boy lay sprawled across the pillows he realised he hadn’t even heard him wake let alone climb in, the trials of the last couple of weeks wearing him down.

Slipping out of bed he covered Mickey with the duvet before making his way to the kitchen, filling the coffee pot before switching the machine on, his mind wandering as the dark liquid dripped through the filter. Just as he sat down with the hot mug in his hands he felt the now tell tale onset of a Memory Headache, resting his head in his hands as the images started to flood into his mind;

“Jesus Christ Ems... you’re insatiable...”

He muttered to no-one but himself, but was surprised to get a reply;

“She boinking skinny Steve then?”

Steve’s head snapped up as he saw Bucky smirking at him as he poured himself a mug of coffee;

“I’ll leave you ‘two’ to it then” he paused for a moment before setting the mug down on the table, pinching the bridge of his nose; “Shit, now I’m getting one”

Bucky slumped into a chair and rested his head against the cool surface of the table, neither man saying much until Bucky muttered;

“Fucking hell Steve...”

“You’re watching us?”

“Yes. It would seem past me was a pervert... oh man I do not need to see your skinny buttocks moving that fast...”

“You’re still watching us?”

“Hello... Mr Pervert 1941 here...” he paused for a moment; “Emily has great tits by the way...”

“BUCK!”

“Sorry! I can’t help it!”

Both men kept their heads on the table, unable to move due to the pain. Finally Bucky sat back in his chair and let out a deep breath;

“Thank fuck that’s over”

“Uh-huh”

“Still going for it Stevie?”

“It would seem I somehow had a lot of energy...”

Bucky pressed his hands to his face to try and shake his headache, downing the coffee and standing awkwardly to get another when the sound of Steve’s cell phone drew his attention to the table. Glancing at Steve and how he was still flinching now and again, his head still buried in his hands he cleared his throat;

“You want me to get that for you?”

“Who is it?”

Picking it up he answered Steve as he went ahead and swiped to answer the call;

“Hey Tony, what’s up?... Hang on; let me put you on speaker...”

“Steve? You there?”

“Yeah Tony, I’m here... just having another memory headache...”

“Well pop a couple of Tylenol and get your ass down here, we’ve got the portal set up to go and we’ve figured out how to get Emily back”

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for Emily to come home

Taking in Strays – Chapter 11

Present Day

Steve and Bucky made it back to the tower with Mickey in record time, rushing straight to Tony’s lab and bypassing the daycare centre. Swiping their passes against the electronic reader they were surprised to be greeted with a red LED light and a dull beep signalling that they weren’t allowed access. Banging their fists on the windows got Tony’s attention, and they watched as he rushed to the door and released it from the inside;

“Sorry about that, we’ve deactivated the entry system to deny access to any onlookers; we don’t want any more missing people”

They followed Tony across the lab and into his office, greeting Thor and were surprised to find a number of other people standing around; Loki, Wanda, Johnny and Vision.

“What’s everyone else doing here?” Steve asked, confused as to why so many people were in the room.

“We figured out what went wrong with it last time...” he paused as Steve waited expectantly; “There were so many other factors involved, Loki and Wanda’s magic, Vision’s stone, even Johnny’s flame increased the temperature in the room and that affected the polarity. We did a test run this morning and it all worked fine”

He was interrupted by Scott arriving, fully kitted out in his Ant Man costume, but pulling a vintage looking suit over the top of it. The next few minutes were tense, Tony running through the instructions for everyone, telling Steve he needed to stay in the office with Mickey and Bucky for their own safety. As the portal kicked into life and Scott prepared to venture through again all Steve could do was hold his breath, staring at the swirling vortex in the centre of the room with the desperate hope of seeing Emily again at the forefront of his mind. He couldn’t stop thinking about how dangerous it would be for her to travel through the portal, feeling guilty for wanting her back with him when the first and foremost reason she needed to return was sitting on the couch in Tony’s office; Mickey. He needed his mother and although he was young in years he was already aware she’d been gone.

Steve cast his mind back to each time he’d collected Mickey from daycare over the last two weeks, how each time Mickey had come running into his arms with a smile on his face, but the first thing he’d said each time was ‘Mamma?’. It had taken all of Steve’s strength to swallow that lump in his throat to enable him to reply, to tell the young child that she would be back soon but not believing his own words.

That same lump had stayed in Steve’s throat each and every night, and after he’d put Mickey to bed he’d sought the solitude of his own bedroom for an hour, slumped against the wall as he let the tears fall down his cheeks until exhaustion took over and he crawled back into Emily’s bed, comforted by her fading scent on the pillows, longing for her touch and reassurance.

~*~

New York 1941

Steve and Emily had returned to bed for the rest of the morning, surprised to have found a note from Bucky on the kitchen table saying he’d swing by later in the day. Their conversations had moved towards the inevitable; Emily expressing her desire to head home soon, but at the same time not wanting to leave Steve on his own again.

“Its fine... Deep down i wish you could stay, but you have a life elsewhere” he’d said, his voice wavering slightly

“Steve, I have loved my time here with you, learning about how things were before you...”

Emily caught herself before she was about to say ‘experimented on’, ‘got frozen in time’, ‘lost everyone you ever loved’, instead she smiled, swallowing back the lump in her throat as he looked expectantly at her.

“Before i what?”

“Before you... joined the army”

He scoffed for a moment;

“Me? In the Army? They wouldn’t accept me even if i tried to sign up”

“Trust me. Persevere at it, the one thing you need to do is join the Army, fight for what’s right... its what makes you, _you_ ”

She pressed a kiss to his cheek before resting her head on his chest, hearing the familiar rattle of his lungs as his Asthma threatened to rear its head. The low rumble of his voice made her look up;

“I... I have to collect my paycheck from the hospital today... but if you wanted... you know, only if you wanted to...”

“What is it Steve?”

“Would you like to go dancing with me tonight?”

“I’d love to!”

Soon it became time for Steve to leave, Emily insisting she didn’t need to go with him and would instead stay at the apartment to tidy. As she kissed him goodbye she felt the first lurch of her stomach, rushing to the bathroom to vomit.

When her stomach was finally empty she rinsed her mouth with water before looking in the mirror, remembering when she was pregnant with Mickey that the morning sickness had started almost immediately after conception as the new hormones surged through her body and overwhelmed her senses. Looking down at her stomach she pressed her hand against it; it was too early to feel anything yet the comfort she felt knowing she held a little piece of her and Steve within her made the tears fall from her eyes.

Soon she felt her emotions start to level out and decided to run herself a bath, enjoying the warm water as it eased the aches of their rather energetic lovemaking. Soaping her body off she only pulled her body from the old tub once the water had cooled. She spent her time leisurely getting ready, having no responsibilities on where she needed to be a relative luxury for someone that had spent a large portion of her adult life dedicating it to the lives of others.

Emily looked in the mirror and smiled, finally having been able to master the tricky pinned curls that seemed to be the era’s style, smoothing down her dress as she admired the way the old relic had come alive again after her skilled needlework. The rich red fabric adding to her pregnancy ‘glow’ that she’d already developed, the swell of her breasts now only comfortable in her modern day bra she’d been wearing when she had first been sucked through the portal. Giving a final twirl in front of the mirror a quiet knock at the door startled her, pausing her mid spin before it came again;

“Emily?”

She recognised the quiet voice, rushing to the door and peering out from behind the little curtain that covered the window, seeing Scott standing on the other side. Pulling the door open she felt her heart sink;

“You’re here”

“I am”

“Its time then”

He nodded, pulling at his tie where it constricted around his neck, the collar of his Ant Man suit just visible;

“You sound like you don’t want to go”

She looked down, biting her lip;

“I had wanted to say goodbye to Steve first”

He coughed before looking up at her;

“We’ve got a few minutes, we can wait if you like?”

She nodded and ushered him into the apartment, closing the door behind them before she felt the first tear roll down her cheek. Before she knew it she felt his arms around her, his hand stroking her hair to comfort her;

“Shhh... its ok” he looked down at her with a optimistic smile; “Do you have anything you need to take back with you? Any modern stuff that could disrupt the space time continuum”

Emily laughed at the reference;

“I’m not Marty McFly”

“No, you’re not. But you are going back to the future... and we don’t need roads where we’re going”

“Where are we going?”

“The roof. Stark adjusted the portal location so it wouldn’t be spotted”

Emily simply nodded, the realisation that she was going home, that she would see Mickey finally setting in. Moving quickly around the apartment she gathered her things; her keys and phone that she’d had with her, her modern day clothing. She found a clean grocery bag to put it all in, slowly folding the brown paper over at the top when she was finished, pausing to look at the door hopefully.

“Emily... we really should be going”

Scott urged her, not wanting to share the private conversation he’d had with Tony the night before, that if they didn’t come back before the portal closed there was a chance they’d both be stuck in 1941.

Emily nodded, opening her purse and pulling out the remaining cash she had left, leaving it in the small dish on the table, hoping it would help Steve as he struggled to find a regular job. It wasn’t much by modern standards but it would be enough to pay his rent for a couple of months. Grabbing the bag she made her way to the door, stepping out onto the wooden staircase with Scott before she closed the door, making sure it was shut firmly. She felt his hand on her arm, urging her to hurry as he led the way to the stairs to the roof. As she took the first step she heard the voice she’d wanted to hear;

“Emily?”

Turning she saw Steve standing on the flight below, his key in his hand as he looked up to her and Scott. It was then that she saw in his eyes the realisation that she was leaving. Looking to Scott she was relieved when he nodded, letting her go to Steve as he stood frozen on the spot.

Standing in front of him she took his hands, looking up to his face as the tears welled in his eyes that matched her own;

“You’re leaving”

“I am. They found a way to get me home... to see my son... and to be with you how we’re meant to be”

He nodded, holding out a small piece of paper to her;

“Here, take this”

Holding the small pink ticket in her hands she saw it was for a Swing dance that evening;

“Steve, i can’t take this... you should go...”

“Not without you. I can’t have my first dance without you”

She let the tears start to fall, looking up at those beautiful blue eyes;

“You’ll dance... you just have to wait for the right partner”

She leant forwards and placed a kiss on his lips, tasting the tear that had reached them before she pulled away, turning before she made a decision she’d regret, taking Scott’s hand as he led her up the stairs and back to where they belonged.

~*~

Present Day

Steve paced the office nervously, glancing up at the clock for the hundredth time in the last few minutes. He glanced at Bucky who was doing his best to entertain Mickey, but the toddler could sense that something was happening, that something was out of the ordinary even for their bizarre lives.

“He’s been gone too long...”

“Steve, have faith in Stark. There’s still five minutes before they have to recall Scott”

“But... what could be taking this long? Why am i not having any mem...shit..”

Steve felt the memory headache come on suddenly, the wash of emotion flooding through him when he realised what he was seeing, what he was feeling. Looking up at the portal he gripped the desk in front of the window, Bucky coming to stand by his side;

“Man, you ok? Another headache?”

He nodded;

“Yeah... it hurts so bad but its a good one... she’s breaking my heart in the kindest way possible”

Bucky wasn’t sure what he meant, but before he could question his friends words the portal started to spark again. Tony gave the command to the enhanced team in the room; Wanda, Vision, Loki and Johnny all doing their thing to keep the polarity of the portal constant, and as the blue sparks started to shoot outwards two shapes could be seen through the blur. As they came into focus Steve felt Bucky’s grip on his arm grow tighter, knowing that Steve would want to rush to Emily the moment she appeared, but keeping in mind that the portal would still be active until Stark shut everything down.

He watched as her feet stepped down unsteadily onto the smooth tiles of the lab floor, Thor greeting them both before escorting them further from the portal. Tony looked to the office and held his hand up to tell him to stay put before he barked out the orders to shut the portal down, watching as everyone did their thing and the swirling mass started to dissipate; finally disappearing into thin air with a small pop.

The room was silent as everyone looked from Emily to Steve, waiting as he quietly opened the door, Mickey in his arms as he took a few steps into the room.

The tears were running down his face as soon as she took the first step to run to him, throwing herself across the room before she wrapped her arms around him and Mickey, the feeling of holding them in her arms making her complete.

They were oblivious to the cheers and applause happening in the room, to the comments and slaps on the back from people welcoming her home, only one person getting their attention as Emily and Steve looked to Bucky, opening their arms to their best friend as he was welcomed into their family. The tears they shed together lasted for a long time, their presence in the lab only halted when Tony ordered them to go up to the penthouse where a small crowd had gathered already, news of Emily’s return spreading like wildfire throughout the tower.

Letting Mickey run ahead with Bucky, Steve took her hand, surprised to find something still in her grasp. As he opened her palm he looked down at the ticket;

“I think i finally found the right partner, so; how about that dance?”


	12. Epilogue

**5 Years Later**

Sam shifted from one foot to another, nervously watching as Emily fixed her hair for the hundredth time in the last five minutes;

“Are you sure you want me to be the one to do this?”

She turned and smiled, walking to stand in front of him as she adjusted his tie and straightened the flower in his button hole in his Air Force uniform;

“I wouldn’t want anyone else to walk me down the isle”

She smiled and rested her hands on his chest, taking a deep breath as the baby moved inside her, her seven month bump pushing against Sam as he smiled at her words;

“You’ve helped us through so much, you have been there for both Steve and myself, for both the boys. You’re Mickey and Grant’s godfather and when this little miss arrives i hope you’ll agree to be her godfather too. From that moment five years ago when i stood in Steve’s kitchen and you saw my scars you’ve been one of our best friends, and i wouldn’t want anyone else to do the honor of walking me to finally tie the knot with Steve”

Sam choked back the lump in his throat nodding as he smiled at Emily and pressed a kiss to her cheek;

“You look stunning by the way… you almost ready or do i need to get them to push things back another 5 minutes”

“We’re good to go”

He crooked his arm and smiled as she slid her own through it, letting him walk her out of the room and towards the gardens where the ceremony was being held.

As she paused behind the screen of Jasmine bushes she cast her mind back to the two previous times they’d tried to do this, hers and Steve’s nuptials almost doomed after the other times the Avengers being called upon to save the world yet again that left her standing at the altar as her fiancé rushed off.

Taking a deep breath she looked up at Sam giving him the nod that they were ready to go, the music starting up as the turned the corner. Looking up she saw her rag tag family at the altar; both Steve and Bucky wearing full modern-day military uniforms that signalled their Army rank, Mickey and Grant standing very patiently next to them as they watched their mother walk towards them. They had moaned about having to wear suits – Grant insisting he would wear his Iron Man pyjama’s as Iron man’s suit was better until Tony had promised to make them both ‘real’ suits – and were pulling at the cuffs that stuck out of their little jackets. Lillian waited on the other side of the altar, the only person Emily had wanted as her Maid of Honor and forgoing any bridesmaids.

As Emily reached the small crowd waiting for her she thanked Sam before handing her bouquet to Lillian, taking a deep breath when she was finally able to stand with Steve as he took her hand. Before the registrar could start he dropped to one knee and cradled her baby bump in his hands, pressing a kiss to it before standing and giving the nod to continue.

~*~

Tony topped his drink up from the bottles of champagne that the catering staff had left in the kitchen, the party in full swing by mid afternoon. With the sun high in the sky and the music being piped through the in-house entertainment system he nodded along to the beat as he ambled through the room.

As he turned the corner he was almost knocked off his feet by his two littlest but greatest fans running in the opposite direction;

“Hey! Mickey, Grant! Slow down! You know your Mom doesn’t like you running in the house”

Tony had been a regular fixture at the Rogers-Embers house in the Hamptons since they had decided to move out of the hustle and bustle of New York, Emily and Steve wanting to raise the kids in a country environment but still be close enough to civilisation that Steve could commute back to Manhattan and the Compound for work, and well; where else would it not be frowned upon to have your own helipad in the back garden?

Wondering what his two smallest protégé’s were up to he followed the sound of their footsteps on the wooden floor, knowing that although he usually instigated most of the mischief they got up to, their parents wedding day was not the right time for it. Hearing their voices from the lounge Tony quietly peered around the doorpost and watched what the two boys were up to;

“Here, look, i can move it a little bit”

“No, you’re dumb, i can move it a little bit too. I’m as strong as you”

Looking down Tony saw what they were talking about; Thor’s hammer. The Asgardian had left it sitting on the marble hearth of the fireplace, out of the way during the wedding, but near enough to be on hand just in case. Tony watched as Mickey grabbed Mjolnir’s handle, leaning into it and making the mighty hammer rock slightly. His little brother pushed at him, wanting a another try.

Tony couldn’t help but to watch in wonder, a few years back before Ultron had happened they’d all seen Steve nudge the hammer, and it had been speculated that he’d stopped trying rather than to proceed and lift it out of humbleness. Tony knew of Mickey’s true parentage, that Bucky was his biological father so to see it move under his efforts had him wondering something. He stepped into the room silently as the two boys argued;

“What are you two up to?” he asked in a mock stern voice

“Nothing Uncle Tony” Mickey said, quick to stand straight and hide Mjolnir behind him

“We weren’t going to break it” Grant said quickly, backing up his older brother.

“I know kids. I saw you both jiggle it a bit though” a thought occurred to Tony; “We need to make sure Thor doesn’t catch us in here, but how about if you both try and move it, working together?”

The two boys grinned at Tony and turned, holding into the leather wrapped handle as Tony counted to three and gave them the signal. They pulled as hard as they could and the hammer scraped across the marble, leaving behind deep scratches before it thudded down the two inch drop onto the carpet with a house shakingly loud thud. Both of the kids looked up at Tony with shock on their faces, to which he matched their expressions but tried to hide his grin;

“Quick! RUN!”

He watched as the boys peeled out of the room and towards the back terrace, slowly ambling after them and meeting Thor at the doorway;

“I heard Moljnir…”

“The boys…”

The tall blond man looked to the back door the kids can just run out of;

“Together?”

Tony nodded, sipping his champagne as the big man shrugged;

“Those two are certainly worthy when working as a team…” he paused as he clasped Tony’s shoulder; “But perhaps we keep this between ourselves? We all know what happens when brothers try and share Mjolnir…”

“That… is very wise”

 


End file.
